Many people wonder how a situation escalates so quickly. Questions such as, “What happened?” or “How did he end up leaving?” are asked, yet there is not much success with finding a fulfilling answer.
When we react, we are emotionally charged. Responding rather than reacting requires for you to wait until you have cooled off, and worked through the issue, prior to replying to the situation. For example, if my supervisor criticizes me at work, I will feel angry and resentful, and I will act withdrawn (reacting). How I can respond is to recognize that my work does not have to be perfect, and that my supervisor was probably only trying to help me (responding).
If you are interested in learning more about reacting versus responding, you can contact one of our clinicians to work with you.
Written by: Judith Morton Fraser MFT “I’ve started to notice how I make relentless judgments about people whom I don’t even know.” Phyllis said as she sat on the sofa in my office. “I want to slap the Gelson’s cashier for calling me sweetie. If the man upstairs doesn’t stop tap dancing on my ceiling…
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Feelings are a normal part of the human experience. All human beings are born with the capability of feeling and thinking. Healthy individuals are able to use their reasoning (their thinking) to understand their feelings and decide how to respond to them. Individuals that grew up in a dysfunctional family, where emotions were not expressed…
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