OK, sometimes it is good to let it all out – it’s certainly not good to bottle up our emotions. But did you know that that the more yelling and shouting you do when you’re angry, the longer the angry rage will last?
Adrenalin
Psychologist Dianne Tice researched the effects of prolonged shouting. She found that prolonged yelling when we’re angry keeps the adrenalin pumping through our bodies. This actually prolongs our feelings of anger. This means our mood gets gloomier. Our stress levels rise.
Take Control of Your Anger
It’s hard when you’re really angry, but for the sake of your well-being try to become aware of your own feelings and break the cycle of negative thought patterns.
Once you feel the anger stirring try to take a pause and think what is really bothering me? In a previous professional life I ran anger management groups for young men. Their anger got them into trouble with the law. We tried all sorts of techniques to get them to pause before doing something really daft or criminal.
While you’re probably not going to commit a criminal act, (are you?) uncontrolled anger and shouting is generally not going to help you much. Once you are deep into the negative stuff you’ll probably find that your mind goes back to other old hurts and bad memories making you feel even more miserable. It’s not productive and drags you deeper into despair.
Lower Your Stress
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
There will always be things outside of your control which cause you anger; that’s life. But you can control how you respond and learn to manage those feelings and lower your stress levels. The first step is being aware of them and asking yourself what exactly has triggered the emotion. Another tip is to stop and notice how your body is responding. You will probably be physically tense and ‘tight’ with a frown on your face.
Smile
Try a smile. Even though you don’t mean it the brain receives a feel good message and it will help lift your mood and lower your stress levels very quickly. And if your anger is directed at an individual they might just smile back.
If you’d like to focus more on this for yourself, check out my coaching page. Together we can find a way through.
Top Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
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Posted on April 19th, 2023 by Jane
