Tips on Managing your Anger

Anger is a natural emotion. It occurs as a defensive response to an unlawful aggression, threat, force, violence and intimidation to your well-being. Sometimes being angry is fine and warranted because it is a natural emotion. The benefit of anger is that it spurs us to action. The problem occurs when anger spurs us to the wrong action. If any two people are confronted with a situation their responses will be totally different. A response which angers one person may just be a laughing matter to another. This lets us know that we either choose to be angry or to not be. Temperament depends on many factors but I believe that heredity is the strongest. These factors can be overcome through the spirit of God. You don’t have to have a temper problem because there were others is your family lineage that had temper problems. Some people are good at suppressing anger but anger is better when it is released in a constructive way. Athletes learn how to release anger in their endeavors and workouts. In these instances anger is released but it is released under control. Releasing anger can help athletic performance if it is done in the correct manner. It can also hinder performance if the athlete does not reign in his anger. An athlete who is experienced performs better when angry. One thing I learned as I began to get older and my physical capabilities began to wane was that if I couldn’t physically out match an opponent I would make him angry by taunting him. I had to be careful because an angry person is unpredictable but it worked wonders. I won many matches and events that I shouldn’t have by making my opponent angry. Suppressing anger is not healthy mentally or physically. Suppressed anger leads to ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes. Suppressing your anger is not good for interpersonal relationships because it causes stress and strain. When you are dealing with someone who you are angry with even if you have suppressed that anger it will change the tone of your relationship. Your relationship won’t be easy or trusting. I have found that it id good to face the problem which is causing the anger and bring it to a head. If the person won’t acknowledge their part in the situation it is best to just leave them alone. The best way to control anger is to remove your self from the person or situation which causes it. If you can’t physically do so then you must do so mentally. You may have to deal with a boss or co worker who seems to be impossible to deal with. In such a case you can’t remove yourself from the situation but you can choose not to become angry with that person. I suffered from a hair trigger temper for many years. I would get so angry that I would feel as if I would explode. A very good friend once alerted me to my state of mind with a single statement. There had been an incident which had aroused my anger earlier in the day. When I told him about it he made one statement to me which helped me to see where I was mentally. The statement was, “That happened a while ago, why are you still holding onto it?” I realized that he was right and that my problem was that I chose to hold onto negative emotions. I learned that you can’t change what has happened so there is absolutely no need to allow things to victimize your mind. We have to learn to allow negative thoughts and emotions to pass over our minds and not affect us. Don’t allow negative thoughts to linger. The key to this is to remove yourself quickly from negative situations. Don’t argue with people who refuse to hear you. You won’t get any place. Use your environment to your advantage. Soft music, soft colors, and soft lights all serve to help to mute your anger. Learn how to relax and just allow your problems to fall away from you. Counting to ten before you speak actually does help but who can remember to do that? Attempt to maintain peaceful surroundings. They will help you to maintain a peaceful attitude. Anger starts within you so peace must begin in your mind also. The Good Life