A Season of Risk

As we approach the holiday season, our expectations of ourseleves and others are often unrealistic. We frequently make demands which are inconsistent with our resources and the resources of others to meet those demands. Consequently, we become stressed, angry, anxious and/or depressed.

The period between Holoween and New Years are by far the most emotionally laden days of the year. This is a time in which we should recognize and anticipate stress and mobilize our efforts to minimize the harmful effects which tend to emerge from unrecognized or unmanaged stress.

Some simply strategies which are often useful include the following:


--acknowledge and label your feelings.
--for each situation which makes you feel stressed or angry, ask yourself:
-Is this situation important?
-Can I control or influence the outcome?
-Will it affect the course of history?
-If it is important and I cannot control or influence the outcome, I must accept the stressor and develop coping strategies or move around it.
-If it is important and I can change or influence the situation, I must act to do just that.

Tomorrow, November 28, I am flying to Richmond, Virginia. I cannot control the weather in Richmond but I can cope with the weather by dressing appropriately.


George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF, CEAP
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
Anderson & Anderson, The Trusted Name in Anger Management
http://www.andersonservices.com/
http://www.aaamp.org
http://www.linkedin.com/in/geoanderson
www.anger-management-resources.org