I can’t even remember what it was, but something was bothering me the other morning. I was in a hurry – trying to find all I needed to get out the door. Cindy, my wife asked if she could help – I tersely replied, “no, I’ll figure it out – it’s quicker this way!”

It wasn’t the nicest tone, and it wasn’t the nicest volume. It had nothing to do with her – I just let my moment of frustration get away from me.

To Cindy’s credit – she grabbed my hand and softly asked me to look at her. When I did, I saw her eyes tell me to calm down, then she told me to take a deep breath, give her a kiss and think and a minute. Boom! I remembered!!

Stress hits us all – and the way we communicate with others can hurt or help our situation. Proverbs 15:1 says “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” My response to Cindy could have stirred up a lot of anger – rightfully so. Fortunately, she took James’ advice and was “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (1:19).

When you’re feeling stressed, take a deep breath to get your composure before carrying on.

For more details, The American Institute of Stress has a recent article which outlines symptoms of stress, and ways to remedy the through communication at work, home and with friends.

See the link below…

https://www.stress.org/using-key-communication-skills-to-manage-stress