Dealing With Bad News

 

Think of a time when you received some very bad news that you were not expecting.  Got it?  How did you respond initially?

Sadness?

Anger?

Frustration and Confusion?

Apethetic?

Recently I was dealt some bad news and I become very upset.  Angry.  Confused and Frustrated.  Here’s what I did to deal with it.

FOUR Steps to Dealing with Bad News

First, I allowed myself the freedom to be angry.  The Bible even gives us the freedom to be angry:

Ephesians 4:26 (NIV) – “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

So get angry, but communicate to those around you that you are angry.  It might look like this; “Honey, I just got some really bad news and I’m very angry about it.  So, you might want to stay clear of me for a bit while I work this out and process it.”

Many times when we receive bad news there is NOTHING we can do about it.  What’s more, it’s okay to get angry (and not sin).  However, we need to communicate with those who are around us when we are angry that we are not angry with them (many times they have no idea why we are angry).

Second, I reflected and prayed.  Again this will not solve the bad news but it is a good mental exercise to process (even journal) the negative issues and then to pray about it. Tell God what is happening; cry out to Him.  When I received my bad news I cried out to God.  I prayed. I wrote my thoughts down in a journal.  I thought about it.

Third, reached out to a friend.  This is a critical step, when we receive bad news it is important that we talk to someone who is for us and process the bad news with them.  It might be good if we tell the other person to not worry about fixing the problem but simply “be there” as we share.  So what do you talk about?  Try this; talk about how you felt when you received the bad news and verbalize what fears you have because of the bad news.  Bring your fears to the light and talk about it.

Finally, move forward.  Do something positive that will bring you a return on your time.  Exercise, Go for a power walk, Write a thank you card to someone, work in the garden, do a craft, etc…  Do something positive that will bring life back to you.

DO NOT

When you receive bad news, DO NOT participate in destructive behavior.  Excessive drinking, drugs, pornography, or other forms of self-medication that has NO RETURN on INVESTMENT.  DO NOT attempt to harm yourself.  DO NOT repress your feelings and say, “It’s not a big deal.” or  “I didn’t care about that anyway.”

Let’s Talk

We all are dealt with bad news from time to time.  If you are having a tough time moving forward let’s talk,  I am a life coach and I can help you develop a plan for your life to move forward.

 

Terry Porter