Keeping your anger under control

While anger is a natural human emotion and can be useful in certain situations to make positive changes in your life, if you don’t keep it under control, it can have a damaging effect on your mental and physical wellbeing.

What are the negative effects of anger?

Anger is an emotion which gets a bad press, but it is our natural response to something which we feel threatens us in some way, for example, feeling taken advantage of, feeling that nobody is listening, etc, and it can be helpful in motivating us to change something that isn't working.  However, when we respond with aggression (a behavioural response to anger) we can get ourselves into trouble. As well as triggering arguments and physical violence in relationships with friends, partners or family, it can also lead to anxiety and stress. When we’re angry, our brain sends a message to our body that triggers our fight or flight response. Our levels of cortisol and adrenaline increase, which makes our heart race and blood pressure rise. Effects of anger can include:

• Anxiety
• High blood pressure
• Headaches
• Stress
• Insomnia
• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Depression

When you deal with anger in harmful/aggressive ways, it can leave you feeling out of control. If you’re unable to manage your anger, it can escalate into outbursts of rage, or perhaps you repress your feelings of anger and allow it to build up, which can result in depression and anxiety.

Ways to manage your anger

If you find that your anger response has become a problem and you have begun suffering from the above effects, there are several ways to manage it.

1. Recognise what triggers you to feel angry and try to avoid those situations if possible. For example, it might be a certain person, the stress of a particular project at work, or something in your past that hasn’t been resolved.
2. Notice when you are starting to feel angry and remove yourself from the situation until you start to feel calmer. Take several deep breaths and as you begin to feel less anxious and stressed, your body will respond accordingly. This allows you the time to think more rationally and deal with the situation more appropriately and in a calm way.
3. Do regular exercise or take part in a sport of some kind as this can ease stress and improve your mood by releasing endorphins and catecholamines, meaning you’re less likely to experience anger. 
4. Try to resolve any underlying issues or ongoing arguments by discussing the situation with the person involved when things are not so heated and coming to an agreement, even if it is to agree to disagree. It’s likely that the other person is also experiencing negative emotions that they would rather put to rest. 
5. Practise some form of relaxation, whether it’s yoga, meditation or Tai Chi. As well as helping you to address any negative thoughts and emotions, relaxation can help you to remain calm in stressful situations and positively affect how you respond. A study published by Psychology Today found that “In people with dozens of hours of meditation experience, thinking about an angry experience did not elicit much of a physical reaction. Their heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing remained relaxed, both before and after meditation.”

If you try these tips and are still struggling to manage your anger, you may find it helpful to speak with your GP,  psychologist or counsellor.