Take the Anger Out of Christmas!

With the fiscal cliff looming, ever increasing unemployment, and hyperinflation turning grocery shopping into financial terrorism, holiday anger isn't just on the rise but has set up permanent residency!

In keeping with the holiday spirit of hope and salvation, North Valley Anger Management Consultants, in Mission Hills, CA., thought the following tips maybe useful to help you and your loved ones deal with holiday stress:

1. Watch carefully the amount of alcohol you consume. Many anger management students confess that excessive drinking definitely contributed to family conflict and aggression.

2.Reduce stress by managing your time carefully and not over-scheduling yourself. Take time for yourself.

3. Adjust your expectations of family members. No, Aunt Irene hasn’t changed since last year. Tell yourself that you only have to see her once a year- you can cope with it.

4. Work on forgiveness skills. Let old resentments go. Holding grudges hurts you more than your relatives.

5. Develop better empathy skills. Try to see the world from the viewpoint of irritating family members and you may be shocked at how your anger dissipates.

6. Limit the amount of time you spend with stressfull family members. Remember the "spirit" of the season can be shared just as well with brief quality time.

7. Celebrating the holidays doesn't have to be expensive. You can keep Christmas alive and well without going broke. Reconnect with the meaning of Christmas through religious or cultural practices.

For more tips on how to deal with angry feelings, holiday stress, or the angry behavior of others, call us at 1-888-992-6479 or visit our website at www.nvamc.com


Happy Holidays from North Valley Anger Management Consultants!

How to Survive The Holidays Anger Free

The Holidays can be challenging for many people, most especially during these difficult economic times. Whether finances or family are giving you the Holiday Blues, following the road map below will definitly help you to successfully negotiate the emotional tidal wave associated with the season without loosing control, exploding in anger, or over indulging.

The key surviving the Holidays without explosive anger is resiliency: Having resilency means developing a set of tools we can use to cope with the various emotional challenges and triggers the Holidays may bring. Resiliency is a learned behavior that anyone may learn and incorporate at any point in their life.

Defining Resilience:

The word "resiliencies" is used to describe clusters of stengths that are mobilized in the

struggle with hardship. The vocabulary of strengths includes seven resiliencies which are as

follows:

Insight -

asking tough questions and giving honest answers.

Independence -

life.

distancing emotionally and physically from the sources of trouble in one's

Relationships -

making fulfilling connections to other people. -

Initiative -

taking charge of problems.

Creativity -

using imagination and expressing oneself in art forms.

Humor -

finding the comic in the tragic.

Morality -

acting on the basis of an informed conscience.

Diagramming the Seven Resiliencies:

The Wolins have represented the resiliencies pictorially on a diagram they call the

resiliency mandala. A symbolic circle that stands for peace and order in the self, the mandala

was identified by Carl Jung as a universal symbol.

 

For more information about coping with anger, or a free consultation, please call 1-888-992-6479 or visit our website at www.nvamc.com today.

Happy Holidays!

North Valley Anger Management Consultants

Coping With Holiday Stress

What Do The Holidays&Stress Have in Common?   

Interestingly enough, it is anger. Anger, which is a secondary emotion, is a way

of protecting oneself from the stress and pain that is often associated with the Holiday Season.      So, in interest of good self care, during the Holidays it is even more important to remember to take time each day to take a deep breath, stop, and enjoy the moment.  Read something, talk to a friend, listen to music, something you truly enjoy to re-charge briefly will make a dramatic difference in your day.
The hassles of everyday life these days can cause a lot of stress at work and home, and even more so during the Holiday Season.  Think about stress as a continuum with really low stress equaling boredom, but the healthy amount of stress allows most people to function in a state of optimal cognitive efficiency.  That correct amount of stress provides you with energy & motivation to accomplish a goal or task.  However a high levels stress can trigger ANXIETY or ANGER with the “fight, flight, or freeze” response of neurochemicals.
Stress is in the most basic sense a mismatch between the demands in our lives and the resources we have to handle with those demands.  Our perception of situations and demands we face varies significantly from person to person, so it is important to remember that it is the way we perceive and respond that is important.  Notice I used the word respond not react, in stressful situations especially, pause, think then respond.  As much as possible avoid reacting. 
Stress Management is one of the main cornerstones of a solid Emotional Intelligence / Anger Management Program.  That is one of the core domains in our evidence-based, skill-building approach that has been helping individuals, couples, and teens get such great results.  Developing a deeper understanding and practicing the skills of Emotional Intelligence, Enhanced Communication, and Stress Management will help you regain control of yourself and your Anger.  Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a relatively new field of study but over the last two decades there has been extensive research. 

At North Valley Anger Management Consultants, we have a program that will be customized to meet your individual needs and help you achieve your goals. For a free consultation, call us today at 1-888-992-6479 or 1-818-570-2424 or check us out on the web at http://www.nvamc.com/

Happy Holidays from Everyone at North valley Anger Management Consultants