Taking your emotions out on your family

A manager complained, “I just can’t seem to leave my stress at work. I come home angry and take out my emotions on my family. What can I do?”

Here are some guidelines to make your home a place of refuge and safety.

Guideline 1: Get your values straight. Your family is forever; your job is not. There’s an issue of fairness that comes into the picture. You can’t take out your hostilities on your boss (or at least, it isn’t a good idea to try), so what right do you have to inflict them upon the innocent members of your family?

Guideline 2: Love your family more than you dislike your boss or fellow workers. Is your love for your husband or wife not stronger than your dislike of a job situation?

Guideline 3: Tell your emotions where to get off. Leave your feelings of unrest and irritation at work. Don’t pack them in your briefcase for you to take out at home. Sometimes saying, “Look, I’m not upset with you. I’ve had a hard day at the office” helps you clear the air and release what annoys you.

Guideline 4: Be your own person. Nobody can make you lose your cool unless you allow others to take it from you. If you have detractors at work, view them with pity and pray for them.

Guideline 5: Look for another job when all else fails. Your kids would rather have less money and enjoy a parent who smiles and laughs than have more money and have you react like drops of water on a hot skillet.

Used with permission from Guidelines Philippines, Inc. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, please write to Box 4000, 1280 Makati City, Philippines or e-mail address box4000@guidelines.org. You may also visit our website at www.guidelines.org.