Are You An Angry Person?
Anger…Are you angry? Do you blow your top at the drop of a dime? Does spilt milk enrage you? Are you the first one on the horn when the light turns green if the car in found of you has not moved in the first 2 seconds?
Anger – we all will get angry over one thing or another. How we process that anger can indicate there could be underlying “anger issues.” This is where some self-assessment may be needed.
Mental Health Humor Cartoon “Anger” used with permission by cartoonist Chato Stewart
Ask yourself: When I get angry is it because:
- Other people around me are completely useless. So, I have to do everything myself!
- No one listens to me, and I want to be heard!
- I’m an utterly thorough waste of a human existence, and can never get anything right!
Control and Anger Are They Connected?
Each example above represents three types of anger issues. First, anger is due to lack of controlling a situation. The second is anger due to lack of control of an environment, and third is anger due to lack of control over self-esteem. The keyword phrase connection is anger equals “lack of control.” Can you agree that anger and lack of control are connected?
We’ve heard the phraseology associated with someone who went on a mad, angry rage “they lost control.”
Yes, anger and control or lack of control are deeply connected. So if that is the case, then learning some simple techniques to “control anger” just may help us when “anger explodes.”
ANGER Tips:
- Breathe – take a few deep calming breaths before you take any drastic actions.
- Count to 10 before you act.
- Write or draw your feelings.
- Punch a pillow/punching bag (no walls or people or pets!)
- Walk Away ~ it takes more courage to walk away from a fight, then it does to start swinging punches.
- Bite your tongue, or upper lip – words can hurt sometimes more than a fist, and have long-lasting, negative effects.
- Go for a brisk walk ~ exercise ~ Jog ~ lift weights ~ aerobics ~ go swimming ~ go fly a kite – get your mind off the situation and out of the boiling pot that made you angry.
to be continued
Consumer Ambassador Chato Stewart