Everyone gets angry. Anger is a natural and often healthy emotion, but it becomes a problem when it gets out of control. This blog post explores what anger is, why it is important to keep it in check, and how you manage it better.
What is anger?
Anger is an emotional response to a threat. It ranges from mild irritation and frustration to intense fury and rage. Anger is an instinctive response to defend ourselves when we feel attacked, or when something doesn’t go our way.
Is anger bad?
Anger itself is neither inherently good nor bad – it’s just an emotion. Emotions serve to alert us to our environment and guide us to respond accordingly. However, how we express anger can be either helpful or harmful. We can use anger to assert ourselves and catalyse change, or we can use it to hurt ourselves and others.
How is anger expressed?
Anger manifests as aggression in different ways. Overt expression includes verbal aggression like yelling, shouting, criticising, or physical aggression like hitting, slamming doors, or breaking things. Covert expression includes internalising anger like negative self-talk, self-harm, and social withdrawal, or passive aggression like sarcasm and mockery.
When does anger get out of control?
Anger can cause physical symptoms like headaches or high blood pressure, emotional symptoms like constant irritation or frustration, and behavioural symptoms like verbal or physical aggression. Anger becomes a problem when these symptoms get too intense, frequent, or disproportionate to the situation, as well as harmful to ourselves and others.
Why is anger management important?
Uncontrolled anger can lead to physical, emotional, and relational harm that decreases overall quality of life. People who practise anger management experience less stress, health problems, and conflicts and experience better relationships, resilience, and mental health.
How can you apply anger management?
Identify triggers: Keep an anger diary to record your triggers, responses, and outcomes. This helps you recognise patterns and develop strategies to address them.
Practise relaxation techniques: Implement techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualisation. This helps to decrease arousal and calm you down.
Change the way you think: Replace negative thoughts with rational, positive ones. This helps reduces the intensity of your anger and helps you view situations more objectively.
Use “I” statements: Describe how you feel without blaming others, such as “I feel frustrated when…” instead of “You always…” This helps to deescalate conflict.
Take time-outs: When your anger starts to rise, step away from the situation and cool down before addressing the issue. This helps to prevent immediate reactions that you might later regret.
Takeaway
Anger is a natural emotional response, but can be harmful when left uncontrolled. Anger management can help you control your anger and express it in a healthy, constructive way. Start incorporating these techniques into your daily routine and take the first step towards better relationships and mental health.
Disclaimer: The contents of this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
References: American Psychological Association, Healthline, Mayo Clinic
