Hi. I'm a classic over reactor. I'm sure you can't relate but man I struggle with being such a hot head sometimes!
If there was a character I could relate with in the Bible, it would be John. When Jesus met him, He gave John and his brother a nickname: sons of thunder.
Can you imagine the personality that they must have had in order to have earned that nickname?
I thank God that He has been so gentle to this wild and strong-willed soul. I'm also really grateful for the simple tools He has showed me to help me center my body when my emotions want to spin out of control.
Here are a few:
Breathing. I cannot talk about this enough! I thought that it was silly and dumb to practice breathing. That it was for people who did yoga or were from California. But truly, breathing is a practice we can all benefit from! Check out this video to see more!
Shaking. Emotions release energy! Which can be awesome if you're in a sticky situation and need to escape. But most of the time you won't need to use your emotions for a physical escape. Yet, you still will have that energy in you and if it's not going out, it's staying in. This makes your nerves become edgy because now you don't have a place to put them. Which is why I recommend shaking. Kinda like a dog.... If you have ever seen a dog get into a tussle, you'll notice that he will shake his body. This act resets his mind and puts him back into a positive frame of mind. So maybe go into a bathroom stall and give a little shake.
Scent. The power of scent has the strength to take our minds to places, the rest of our senses don't. Scent is the only sense that can bypass your emergency mode. What a powerful tool! Keep a couple of grounding oils like cypress or frankincense when you're struggling to bring your body back down.
Hopefully these tools will be a start to your journey! I'm so glad that God doesn't leave us the way that we are. He cares about our lives and wants the very best for you. Maybe your nickname won't be "son of thunder" but perhaps, as you get to know God better, you will be known as the disciple of love. (That's what John's nickname got changed to.) Take intentional choices and listen to the Holy Spirit to grow into the person God designed you to be!
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