Cooling Down Your Hot Buttons

Our buttons can be pushed
by something someone SAYS or DOES
that causes us to REACT in a way
that is more EMOTIONALLY CHARGED than is necessary.

We REACT
IMMEDIATELY and EMOTIONALLY
instead of RESPONDING in a
FOCUSED or INTENTIONAL way.

Our BUTTONS are not what the other person does or says,
but the way we THINK or BELIEVE about the world around us.

We can choose to CHANGE
the way we THINK so that
we do not REACT so strongly.

What about the Button Pushers in our life?

If those people who push our buttons show us something within ourselves that we can improve…then we can be grateful for them…they become OUR teachers. 

If they force us to look inward and resolve even one of the buttons that holds us back, then they have given us a wonderful gift. 

The title of a book written by Mark Rosen says it best: “Thank You for Being Such a Pain”.

Tips for Getting Started…

1. Practice stress reduction!
1. Breath
2. Balance work and leisure
3. Know your limits
2. Notice situations where your buttons get pushed.
3. Identify your buttons.
4. Decrease their power over you!
5. Think of your button pushers in a new way!

Button Identification Worksheet (PDF)

Button Reduction Worksheet (PDF)