Good morning…
“I try to be slow to respond and quick to think,” says beloved author and human behavior researcher Brene Brown. “I also stay very mindful about the effect that calm has on an anxious person or situation. A panicked response produces more panic and more fear. As psychologist and writer Harriet Lerner says, ‘Anxiety is extremely contagious, but so is calm.’ The question becomes, Do we want to infect people with more anxiety, or heal ourselves and the people around us with calm?”
“If we choose to heal with calm,” Brene says, “we have to commit to practicing calm. Small things matter. For example, before we respond we can count to ten or give ourselves permission to say, ‘I’m not sure. I need to think about about this some more.’ It’s also extremely effective to identify the emotions that are the most likely to spark your reactivity and then practice non-reactive responses.”
Brene concludes, “For me, breathing is the best place to start. Just taking a breath before responding slows me down and immediately starts spreading calm. Sometimes I actually think to myself, I’m dying to freak out here! Do I have enough information to freak out? Will freaking out help? The answer is always no.” (Brene Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection, 106-107)
The Bible concurs. Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace (Proverbs 15:18, MSG).
…Sue…
