Think Before You Speak

Think before you speak, text, email, post, fax, and tweet. When you communicate before thinking about what you want to say, it can result in you saying something that you may wish that you had not said. This is especially true when you are tired, upset, hungry, hormonal, stressed, or angry.

We can usually tell when we are not feeling our best emotionally or physically and when we need a filter for our words.

Many times even when we know this, we proceed and communicate anyway.

It usually causes us to have regret with the words that we communicated not to mention the way that we said them.

Something that you can do to help you filter your words when you are not in the best of spirits for whatever reason is to write or type out what you want to say first. Then, wait 24 hours and reread it and tweak it after you have calmed down a bit and have given things more thought.  

It is always best to at least wait to communicate when you are not in pleasant spirits until you are feeling better. This is just so that you don’t say something that you may regret later because you spoke when not feeling your best.

It is especially important to wait to talk when you are in a confrontational and/ or in a stressful situation. 

Moreover, if you are communicating back to someone who has spoke to you and it has upset you, do not react while you are upset. Allow yourself time to gain your composure and to think about the situation and then RESPOND instead of reacting.

Pay attention to your tone of voice as well. Remember that when you text, email, etc. that others cannot ascertain your tone and that you can come across in ways that were not intended.  

Try not to react impulsively or emotionally. Think before you speak.

You can apologize and try to take back your words but you can never take back how you made someone feel.

Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. Napoleon Hill

He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly. 

Proverbs 14:29 

By Diane Gammon M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Blog Website LivingWithHopeCounseling.com