Anger is a multifaceted creature. From mild irritation to punching your boss in the face, anger is considered a negative emotional state, that everybody experiences, but nobody enjoys.
Caused either by external or internal events, by present situations or memories of past events, anger is an instinctive response to threats. So it is only natural for us to find ourselves in a fighting or defending mood. But it is better not go where anger is taking us, down to the aggressiveness road.
There are 3 main approaches that people use to deal with anger:
1. We express our anger when there’s no way around it.
It means being assertive, knowing and expressing our needs and feelings without hurting others. It means finding a way to act so that you respect yourself and others equally.
2. We suppress our anger because of the bad reputation it has in our society.
Keeping your anger bottled up may be tempting, but it is not sustainable. When you do not allow your anger to be expressed, it converts into passive aggressive behavior, cynicism and hostility. Not to mention the damage done to your health: heart diseases, depression, etc.
3. We find a way to calm ourselves down.
Some people try to be careful not only about how they manifest in the world, but they also control their inner responses to familiar triggers.
Here’s how they do it:
- Breathing exercises
- Repeating a calming word or phrase
- Visualizing a relaxing experience from their memory or their imagination
- Exercising (it relaxes your muscles and calms you down).
Take a deep breath and share this!
