Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
Anger is normal, and like any other emotion, it also conveys a message. You experience anger when a situation is wrongful, upsetting, unjust, or threatening. If not controlled, your anger can progress to aggression and may even cause physical harm to yourself or to others. Although anger is mostly portrayed as a ‘negative emotion’, however, it can be considered positive when it makes you stand against something wrong, whether for yourself or for society at large.
While it is perfectly normal to experience anger, yet you should not let it take over your mind as it can lead to grave consequences. Anger should be projected in the right way, or it can negatively influence your health by increasing stress and tarnish your image by your actions.
In this article, you’ll learn about the negative effects of anger on your health and the Top 7 tips to control and manage your anger effectively.
How does anger affect your health?
- Physical health
Working under stress or holding a grudge can trigger anger and increase your chances of getting affected by heart disorders, diabetes, insomnia, and high blood pressure. Another ill effect that anger can have on you is the weakening of your immune system, which can make your body prone to several illnesses.
- Mental health
Chronic anger can cloud your thinking and judgment capacity, as it consumes a huge amount of mental energy. It can cause stress or depression, making it difficult for you to go about your daily life.
- Career disruptions
A healthy office environment consists of creative differences, constructive criticism, and healthy debates. However, when your emotions, such as anger overpower your reasoning, you start to project your anger towards your colleagues, or worse your superiors. This can not only destroy the cordial relationship you’ve had with them but can even lead to even more serious consequences, like losing your job.
- Personal relationships
After your health, it is your personal relationships that can get damaged due to uncontrolled outbursts of anger. Not just a particular relationship, out of control anger can damage every relation you have. It can be friendship, family, and even work relationships. This makes it hard for others to trust you, be truthful to you, or feel comfortable in your company.
Remember. if you lose your temper easily and feel that you can do nothing about it, then you’re wrong. By identifying the reasons and triggers for anger flare-ups and implementing some anger management tools, you can easily manage this condition.
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you manage your anger effectively.
The best 7 easy tips to control your anger
- Number counting therapy
Your heart rate increases rapidly when you are angry. Counting from 1 to 10 can help reduce the heart rate and subside anger. In case you are really annoyed and number counting isn’t proving to be helpful, increase the count to 100. Counting to higher digits calms your nerves, significantly reduces the heart rate, thus lowering your anger levels.
- Deep breathing
Anger increases your heart rate and makes breathing shallower. Reverse this effect by taking long and deep breaths from the nose and exhaling slowly from the mouth. It’s best to repeat this pattern till you feel calm and better.
- Take a walk and stretch a little
If you feel like a factor or a situation is triggering your anger and can make you react to the situation aggressively, go out for a walk or do or engage in relaxing activities (a cup of coffee, reading, listening to light music, light stretching, etc.). This can help you become calm, thus enabling you to look at the situation rationally and avoiding escalation.
- Music is a healer
Music is one of the best remedies for anger. Light or instrumental music can help lighten your mood and distract you from the topic that is upsetting you.
- Time is the ultimate therapist
When in a stressful environment or situation that has triggered your anger, it’s best to disconnect yourself from others for a little while. Being away from the crowd till your anger subsides or you start feeling better is a great way of ensuring that your anger doesn’t lead to something awful.
- Talking helps
The last thing you want to do when you are angry is to keep thinking about the situation that has made you upset. Talk to a friend or to anyone whom you can emotionally rely on. Discuss the situation and explain how and what you are feeling. Remember, talking always helps. It makes you feel lighthearted, removes the shroud of anger, and helps you think rationally.
- Shut it!
When you are angry at someone, the best thing you can do is to just stop talking. No matter what, just step away, stop talking to the person you are angry at. Continuing the conversation at such a time will lead to nothing good, and will only make matters worse.
Final thoughts
Although anger is a common emotion that everyone feels, yet controlling your anger is the key to not only effective conflict resolution but also to keep yourself safe from the health implications of anger. The aforementioned tips will help you learn how to control your anger to live a healthy and fulfilling life.
