Top 20 Ways to Manage your Emotions

I was watching a documentary recently about the late children’s TV host Mr. (Fred) Rogers in which he was discussing a song he wrote called, ‘”What Do you Do with the Mad that you Feel?”

It prompted me to create a Top 20 list for adults to answer the question: ‘What do you do with the emotions you feel?”

God Himself experiences emotions and we were created in His image. So we glorify Him when we handle our emotions wisely.

Here is my top 20 list. I arranged them alphabetically to make them easier to remember:

• A – Accept them: ”I feel___________________.”
• B – Breathe through them.
• C – Consider Christ’s compassion.
• D – Direct to positive action.
• E – Express gratitude.
• F – Forgive quickly.
• G – Gain scriptural perspective.
• H – Help someone else.
• I – Invite God in.
• J – Journal through them.
• K – Keep forward focus, not backward.
• L – Learn from mistakes.
• M – Make simple plans.
• O – Opt for optimism.
• P – Pray about them.
• Q – Quiet your time.
• R- Release through exercise.
• S -Sing through them.
• T – Talk them out.
• W – Walk in wisdom.

When your emotions bring you low, move to higher ground. This is my favorite scripture to meditate on and practice when emotions threaten to overwhelm me:

From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

– Psalm 61:2

May these quick tips help you process your emotions in healthy ways rather than bury them!