Greetings! 

I've been speaking with one of my dear friends here in The States who told me a brilliant story.   She has given me permission to share it with you.  It's not only fun, but it could change your whole attitude to dealing with anger and frustration.

My friend and her husband made a pact at the start of their marriage that, even in the midst of a heated argument, they would never tell each other to "f*** off" or say "up yours".   Instead they agreed, they would just say to each other "Honey.  I love you."  They've been married for nearly 20 years by the way.

The friend I'm referring to holds a high powered HR position in a huge global corporation and she was telling  me how she had been encouraging her staff to use the same tactic at work!    There had been a fair amount of bad feeling around the office for some time in the midst of mergers, redundancies and so on and the atmosphere was at times, a little tense.   So, she shared this tactic in a recent training session.   

The result is, the "Honey.   I love you" phrase has caught on and people use it whenever they are feeling frustrated or angry.   It's coming out in conversation and in emails and people are having fun with it!   The mood in the office has changed completely as a result.

I'd  go so far as to take it one step further.   When you're angry or frustrated with anyone or with a situation, use the "Honey.   I love you" phrase and then (if necessary, after a cooling off period) do something nice for that person or ask if you can do something for them.   Not only is this likely to improve communication and the general atmosphere,  it's likely to improve camaraderie and relationships and a sense of co-operation,  because it's a much more positive approach.   Who says life can't be fun, even when times are tough?!

With love

Annie x