My friend and co-editor here on Beyond Meds, Will Hall, spoke at the American Psychiatric Association a day or two ago. I just listened to this talk and was moved very deeply. Imagine --- he just said all this stuff in front of a room filled with psychiatrists!!
I have big feet. Very big. A full size 11. Some years ago I realized that while I should hate my feet. I did not. Us women are very hard on our bodies and from a young age we learn to hate most of our body and often really hate some parts of our body. This is particularly true for parts that we think are too big or too small....
It’s the differentiator between anger and aggression or hostility that makes the difference. Learning to become aware of the space in between the stimulus and our reaction is a practice that can get better over time. The next time you notice anger, see if you can take a moment to pause and breathe and acknowledge your anger, without judgment. This anger is not good or bad or right or wrong, it is simply an emotion that you are experiencing right now. If it is very strong, excuse yourself from the situation, see if you can practice being kind to yourself in this moment as you are struggling. Sometimes we find that underneath the anger is sadness or another emotion.
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