A walk outside can help
Last week, we broke down the 5-step process of getting upset. We used the example of a father trying to get his daughter ready for school. He wanted to remain calm in a stressful situation, but instead became anxious and angry. It ended with him yelling at his daughter, her crying, and him feeling like a bad father.
Don’t we all want a better handle on our emotions? However, at times you are not able to make that choice to behave like you want and you end up feeling badly about yourself. You can learn skills to help you handle emotional situations differently.
A couple was walking along the boardwalk at the beach when a black cat ran across their path. The man said, “OH NO, Is this a bad omen?” His wife responded, “But you like kitties!”
That much was true. He remembered that as a child he had cats, and some of them were black. As an adult, however, he had forgotten the fun and joy he once associated with cats. As he moved through life, he experienced a number of bad and dangerous things. Continue reading
Last week, we looked at 11 rules commonly found in families where any variety of dysfunction exists, including Adult Children of Alcoholics. Those rules are often formed before a child is aware that they exist. They remain unconscious and powerful directives in our lives well into adulthood.
This week, we want to talk about 12 ways these rules manifest in our adult behaviors.
“She did not make it,” the message read.
I knew what the words said, but my mind would not allow me to believe what they meant. Without a logical way to explain her sudden death, my mind refused to accept the situation. The pain and the grief were too great; the truth was too painful, too shocking, too awful.
Continue reading