#psychology #emotions #emotional-response #emotional-balance
idea
Anger comes is a fight response triggered by fear. It is very often linked by a need to protect the ego[2], although it can be a learned behaviour in response to certain situation with people who are often angry (i.e. if someone cut me in traffic, that frightened me and made me angry, next time someone cuts me I'll be angry).
Anger is tightly linked with anxiety and depression. It's a detractor to happiness and increases health risks.
Anger is a response to an emotion, and while the emotion needs to be dealt with, how it is expressed can be in our control. The same neuroplasticity that made us learn the behaviour can be used to replace it[1].
- Avoid situation in the first place, by removing yourself, communicate genuinely, be positive with people
- Analyze angry situations: find what triggered it, understand why it made you angry, what is the unfulfilled need or fear that's underlying
- Prepare yourself, relive both times where you reacted well and times you did not, try to replay them and visualize yourself succeeding.
- Interrupt yourself when you start being angry. Summon your ideal reaction. Reframe the mood, try to infuse in humour.
- Meditate, practice breathing exercises, gratitude.
links
references
[1]: See Never get angry again