In these troubled times it can be easy to lose our cool. So much uncertainty flying around, loved ones becoming ill or even worse, potentially dying, incomes being lost and a sense of unfairness and injustice in society. It can be easy to become angry, but is being angry always the best response?
What are the symptoms of anger?
Anger can cause many different symptoms. The symptoms can be physical or mental and they can affect how you behave and make you feel pretty rotten.
Some people become aggressive towards others when they're angry. Other people hide their anger and may take it out on themselves.
It's not always easy to recognise when anger is the reason why you're behaving differently and there can be so many reasons, why someone can feel angry.
So why might people feel angry right now?
When life is tough for people, anger can increase. Frustration can lead to some people trying to find someone to blame for their life and their unhappiness and right now, there is widespread frustration in society. There can be a whole host of reasons when people feel frustrated. Life can be hard and for some people, it can feel like one thing after another. Anger can also increase when a loved one has been lost and the relatives left can't find any answers about why they lost their loved one. It's completely understandable to feel angry sometimes, but when does everyday annoyance tip over into chronic anger, that can upset you and ultimately, actually damage your health.
What are the physical effects of Anger?
When we become angry our heart beat can become faster and our muscles can tense up, which can lead to muscle ache and headaches. When we get stuck in a perpetual cycle of anger, we are constantly putting our hearts under pressure and over a long period of time, we could develop high blood pressure as a result of these angry feelings. High blood pressure has been linked to heart attacks and strokes, so being angry doesn't sound so great for your health when you look at the facts. Tightness in the chest can also be one of the affects, feeling hot and being unable to concentrate, not great feelings.
What are the mental effects of Anger?
Feeling angry can also affect your mental health. Anger can make you feel tense or anxious, unable to relax and generally irritated and annoyed. It can be hard to focus when you're angry, which is why road rage is so dangerous. Driving a car when you're angry is potentially lethal. Anger can also cause resentment to build up. If anger isn't resolved it just keeps piling up. Have you ever met anyone that just seems like they are on the precipice of the biggest anger melt down, ever? That's how anger works. If it isn't resolved, then it can escalate and build and build, until the slightest event tips that person right over the edge and boom. Watch out, whoever gets in the path of that person.
So what can we do about managing anger?
Try to recognise when you start to feel angry so you can try to either remove yourself from the situation or take action to try to calm down. Try counting to ten and use some breathing exercises. Physical exercise is also really good for anger, but it's not advisable to use a punch bag to work out your anger, as this can set new behaviour patterns and actually make someone more aggressive. Try to think of new ways of coping with stressful situations, lack of assertiveness can be the cause of anger. If you still find that anger is a problem and it starts to disrupt your job, relationships or friendships, then it might be time to get some professional help. Angry behaviour may have been an issue for someone since childhood but it is possible to change angry behaviour with the right help. Professionals can help you to work through why you feel angry and help you to find new ways of coping, so you can feel happier and more in control of your life. Hypnotherapists and Counsellors can both treat Anger management so get in touch if you'd like a confidential chat about Anger x