Managing Anger: When You Say The Wrong Thing

Thursday, January 5, 2023 @ 12:50 PM

One of the hardest things to do when dealing with anger is controlling our tongue.

We may be overcome with emotion and say something hurtful, damaging and/or inappropriate. When we calm down, we often feel some regret and wish we could take back our words.

Although we are not able to go back and change what we said, we can take some positive steps in dealing with anger.

First, we can take responsibility for our actions. It may be humbling to apologize, but simply saying "I'm sorry" or "I shouldn't have said what I did" can bring healing and restoration to the situation and relationships that may have been affected.

We also can and must forgive ourselves and accept that we are only human and imperfect.

Finally, we can learn some healthy coping skills for dealing with anger that can help us throughout our lives.

We have two choices when it comes to dealing with anger in our lives: We either learn to control it or it will control us.

Anger is not something we can avoid or ignore. Whether it is our own anger or someone else’s, much of our days are spent dealing with anger and its consequences.

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret. ~Ambrose Bierce

Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry. Ephesians 4:26