{"id":272,"date":"2016-07-09T16:16:06","date_gmt":"2016-07-09T16:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplyfabulous\/?p=272"},"modified":"2016-07-09T16:16:06","modified_gmt":"2016-07-09T16:16:06","slug":"do-you-have-a-hair-trigger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplyfabulous\/2016\/07\/do-you-have-a-hair-trigger.html","title":{"rendered":"Do You Have a “Hair Trigger”?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You’re stuck in traffic.<\/em><\/p>\n

You stub your toe on the coffee table.<\/em><\/p>\n

You can’t find your keys and you’re running late.<\/em><\/p>\n

When these little irritants happen to you… how do you react?<\/p>\n

Do you maintain your composure and remain level-headed? \u00a0Or do you immediately fly off the handle? \u00a0Red face, breathing heavy, throwing things while colorful words fly out of your mouth?<\/p>\n

Don’t worry, I’m not going to judge you if you fall into the latter category. \u00a0But I do want to warn you that it might be the sign of something bigger going on inside – both physically and emotionally.<\/p>\n

When I was in the thick of adrenal fatigue, I had ZERO<\/strong> tolerance for stress. \u00a0Basically, my “flight or fight” response had gotten so blown out, that it had NO<\/strong> juice left for actual (or perceived) stressors.<\/p>\n

If my dog took too long to go to the bathroom outside, I’d feel like I was going to lose my mind. \u00a0If I was running late, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack before I got there. \u00a0If I couldn’t find something I needed, I’d get MAD<\/strong>. \u00a0Immediately. \u00a0There was no warning or “ramping up.”<\/p>\n

But that’s because my body was running on overload.<\/p>\n

It had been too stressed\u00a0for too long and it wasn’t getting enough of the things it needed – like restful sleep, proper nutrition, quiet time and meditation. \u00a0So my energy stores that I needed to deal properly with the stress were empty. \u00a0And the littlest thing would send me into flip-out mode.<\/p>\n

So, what about you?<\/p>\n

Have you been running on coffee and energy drinks for too long? \u00a0Masking the non-stop stress and pushing your body past its limits?<\/p>\n

Or maybe you feel like you do eat well and get enough sleep, but you have emotional baggage that you’ve been “shoving down” for years – family issues, relationship issues, problems with self-esteem, lack of motivation or loneliness. \u00a0Surely, those feelings can’t have anything to do with how quickly you get angry, right?<\/p>\n

Oh, yes they can.<\/p>\n

When you take strong emotions like grief, worthlessness, loneliness, betrayal, rejection and abuse and continue to bury them inside without properly addressing them, they start to build up like a volcano. \u00a0And what happens when you poke at a live volcano? \u00a0It might just erupt.<\/p>\n

But this isn’t how God meant for us to live.<\/p>\n

In fact, Proverbs 16:32 says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.” \u00a0<\/em>And James 1:19, says, “This you know, my beloved brethren, but everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.”<\/em><\/p>\n

That’s because anger is not a sign of strength and power. \u00a0It’s actually the opposite. \u00a0Anger is always the result of another emotion beneath it – be it sadness, fear, rejection or something else. \u00a0But when you are unable to deal properly with that underlying emotion, anger is what results.<\/p>\n

But to be like Christ and live as God intended, we should be slow to anger,\u00a0<\/i>patient and even-keeled.<\/p>\n

Sure, that may sound easier said then done. \u00a0But it all comes back to surrendering it to God.<\/p>\n

He doesn’t want you trying to carry the heavy burdens – “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” \u00a0<\/em>(Matthew 11:28). \u00a0He wants you to lay them at His feet, so He can bear the burden for you.<\/p>\n

But you have to take the time to hand them over to Him.<\/p>\n

Make your emotional and spiritual health a priority in your life – spending time in prayer, meditating and resting. \u00a0Dealing with your emotions instead of just ignoring them.<\/p>\n

And take care of your physical health by getting proper rest and eating clean food. \u00a0And then watch what happens…<\/p>\n

Your “hair trigger” might just stop being so trigger happy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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