Your comment about our thoughts creating our feelings is right on. In fact, I think our thoughts are responsible for creating much of our reality.

It’s interesting how the fight-or-flight response interferes with our having the best response to stressful situations. It seems that we’re still optimized for caveman life in that regard.

Two of the best books for controlling your emotional response are:
1. Feeling Good (a lot of emphasis on thought patterns and practices)
2. Crucial Conversations

Crucial Conversations is particularly interesting because there’s a technique called “master my stories” which is about intercepting your reactions to situation and reframing them before you let your fight-or-flight response take over. What’s interesting is that our fight-or-flight responses literally shut down our ability for our best mindful responses (it’s how our brains are wired.) This is why folks who master emotional intelligence respond better in a great number of stressful situations.

When it comes down to some hard-core techniques, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) is probably the most effective I’ve seen in action.

JD’s last blog post..Sustainable, Healthy Commitment

After you repeat something enough times, you fall into a pattern. Patterns can be good because they make things simple, but by being stuck in a pattern we sometimes have reactions that aren’t the best for the situation. Once in a while it’s good to think about our patterns and decide if they still make sense.

Sorry, couldn’t help it.

I really enjoyed your post, though. Lately, I’ve had to check myself when I get angry at the kids for being, well..kids! Sometimes, I have to think back if I behaved like that as a kid, and decide, nah…!

But just the same, I found that getting upset at the kids was becoming a regular pattern of behavior, and by acknowledging it, I can do something positive about it.

Nez’s last blog post..Frame of Mind

Catherine, I know the greater effect on men is partially explained by society’s preference for the strong silent type. Maybe it makes guys look cool, but it’s no good for them. I read an article that said James Bond would have been a victim of early heart disease, even without the cigarettes and martinis.

It’s interesting that anger is far more dangerous to the health of men than it is to women. I wonder why that is?

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I love your attitude…..you found a topic for a blog post, and it will be one that can help many.

I agree, getting angry only hurts us. It can be embarrassing not only to us, but to those that we get angry with, and if we happen to have our children or spouse with us, to them too. Since it’s proven children learn what they live, such a poor example we could be showing them.

I had never heard that airlines give preferential treatment based on the level of anger, but if that’s the case, it makes me wonder what other businesses use the same technique. And….if some purposely “act angry” to get upgraded?

This a a great post on teaching others how to be heart healthy. Thank you for sharing a great lesson.

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