It doesn’t take a lot to make me angry. What about you? Did some schmuck cut you off on the freeway? Maybe your boyfriend accidentally shredded that birthday card your grandma sent you. So you freak out. You scream, maybe a vein pops out of your forehead. It happens to everyone. But did you know that anger is actually affecting your physical health?
Hey, anger is inevitable, okay? You can’t just stop getting angry. Will punching a wall really calm you down? The answer is no. Sorry, but recent studies have shown that angry reactions are pretty harmful to your physical health. Yale University study found that people with anger management issues tend to get sick more often. Their anger actually weakens their immune system.
The National Medical Association’s journal noted that 9% of people have a heart attack who responds to anger. Hey, that might not sound like a lot, but come on, it’s a heart attack. Every percentage point counts. Other studies have linked anger to everything from coronary disease to high blood pressure.
Now that we all know that excessive angry outbursts are bad for you, we’re going to teach you how to manage that anger in four simple steps. All you’re going to need is that handy dandy well cast Journal. A little bit of time and a teeny bit of self awareness.
1. Control your breathing
When something pisses you off, instead of screaming or laying on the Horn, take deep breaths. Spend two to three minutes breathing deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. Imagine inhaling calm blue air and exhaling that red, toxic air.
2. Relax your muscles
Unclench your fists. Make a conscious effort to loosen those shoulders and slump a little. Great posture is awesome. But for now, let those muscles unwind.
3. Get it out.
Once you’re relaxed and breathing deeply, grab your well cast Journal. It’s just exhale and Inhale obviously, please pull over. But when you get a chance, write down exactly what made you angry.
4. Seeking context
It’s important to put your anger into context by thinking rationally instead of emotionally. Think about it. Are you going to be angry tomorrow? Yeah, probably. What about a week from now? Maybe a month? Probably not a year? I don’t think you’ll remember But by examining your anger this way, you can displace yourself from it and you’ll be able to process your anger without letting it take over your life.
You need to find a healthy way to process your anger, or else you could run into some really nasty health problems. Remember to relax and breathe evenly and then work through your anger by writing it down and contextualizing it. We can’t promise you won’t get angry ever again. But hopefully with this you’ve found a way to deal with it a little bit better.
Originally published at https://www.a4sheet.xyz.
