As a kid, I was always told that anger is a person’s biggest enemy. It challenges our logical abilities and renders us useless. The anger in our mind slowly turns into permanent resentment and can rob that beautiful smile. Holding on to anger has several adverse effects. Not only does it affect our mental health but also our physical health. Studies across the world are writing about how anger can pull us down, how we can come across as insensitive and ill-mannered to people. Rage has become an inherent part of our lives, so has frustration. With the stressful lifestyle that we are being pushed into, we are giving into the sordid mundane realities of life and missing out on the more essential aspects of nature. One needs to see through the fog of anger and resentment. Life is beautiful and one must be free from any boundaries whether physical or personal.
Anger is one of the leading reasons behind our eating disorder and lack of concentration. There must be an annoying neighbor who decides to jackhammer on a Sunday morning or a stranger who steals your parking spot at the mall, which might make you angry. We all face such annoying situations on a daily basis when we lose our calm. Imagine yelling at your colleague at the office or at the waiter at a restaurant. It affects our sleep and hunger and also our reputation. Anger is also a prime reason behind high blood pressure and heart problems. You could lose out on a long-awaited promotion or get thrown out of an expensive restaurant only because of that obnoxious temper. Anger tends to release a lot of stress hormones and make you cranky. Hence instead of repressing your anger, you should know how to channelize it in the right direction.
Here are a few tips on how you can deal with your anger and let it GO:-
Trace the source of your anger – One of the most important things to do while anger management is tracing the reason behind what makes you angry. Often the reason behind our anger is fear or pain. Pain could be both physical and mental. Mental pain often is a result of other emotions like jealousy or humiliation. Sometimes anger can also be caused by our memories or assumptions. So we should figure out what is making us angry and work on it.
Take responsibility for your action – Sometimes we tend to blame others for a negative situation that we face but we should also do some retrospection and look at our own mistakes and try to rectify ourselves. We should be honest about what we did wrong and try to set things in the right direction.
Is the anger worth retaining? If not let it go! – Many times we realize that our anger isn’t justified or maybe the situation doesn’t demand that big a reaction from our side. In such moments we must ponder upon the question that “is the matter worth my energy and attention”? If your heart says no then maybe just let it go instead of being stuck on it.
Forgiveness – Forgiveness is the key to all your anger and aggression. We are all human beings and are likely to make mistakes or do things that might hurt others. Forgiveness is the biggest virtue one can have. Forgiving someone gives proof of your goodness and makes you a bigger person. Not only does it lighten your mood but gives you immense peace and satisfaction. We are all imperfect remember? Try to forgive the people who have caused you pain and anxiety. Try to figure out if the person is worth your time and energy? If not then try to go past the situation and forgive the person.
Don’t hold grudges – Holding grudges only reduce your happiness and increase your blood pressure. They give you sleepless nights and dark circles. If someone has wronged you they will face their karma. After all, karma is God’s best friend. Believe in yourself and let go of your resentment. Holding grudges is no solution to any problem.
Scream in a closed room – This might sound strange but there are several situations that we might face where we have to express our anger. Repressing the anger can have adverse effects as well. Hence instead of burying that resentment to avoid public humiliation, close the door of your room and scream till you feel better. This will surely release the stress in you and will help you channelize your emotions in a better way.
Seek help – Often we are shrouded in ego and humiliation when we just cannot see beyond them. We tend to get aggressive and act irrationally. In those times we should reach out to people who can show us the right path and choose the moral high ground.
Hug your loved ones – Hugs are believed to release serotonin which helps in balancing your mood. It lowers our blood pressure and heart rate. We all know how the soothing touch of our partner or parents can help us feel better magically.
Walk away from stressful and tricky situations – there are times when we have no control over our minds and we tend to get aggressive and express our anger rather violently. In such situations, we should always try to walk away from the situation rather than creating a scene. This will make you the bigger person and will save you from a moment of embarrassment and extreme stress.
Try methods of relaxation – Often we face situations where someone gets on our nerves and compels us to react. In those times we should try methods like back counting or taking deep breaths. Try to divert your mind on the beautiful things around you and see beyond the crisis. This will calm you down after a while and you will be able to deal with the situation more reasonably.
Try Anulom Vilom pranayama – If you are someone who loses their temper in a fraction of second you are probably deeply stressed. Anulom Vilom is believed to release tension and has healing powers. It keeps the blood pressure level under control and rejuvenates the body cells through the proper supply of oxygen.
Try Zumba – Many times you may have an outburst because you have excess energy within you which is not being used up in the proper way. Hence when your brain sees the threat it tends to overreact and shows a reaction larger than required. Zumba is a new form of exercising that involves dancing and is an effective way to get rid of the excess energy and stress building up in your system and it promotes feelings of well-being. The music and the dance will cheer you up and keep you fit as well.
Try listening to chakra music – Chakra music uses sound to balance the seven energy centers (chakras) in our body. Each chakra responds to a specific sound-healing frequency, known as solfeggio frequencies. The vibrations assist in balancing the mind, soul, and body and help energy flow.
