HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · JUNE 2018
TAMING THE RAGE
ANGER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
It’s a bit of a cliché
(and not always an
accurate one) that men are more prone to anger than
their female counterparts, but it’s true, however, that
men aren’t taught to control their anger in the same
way females are. This can result in counterproductive
behavior, followed by guilt. Anger isn’t necessarily a
bad emotion; however, a problem arises when it’s
uncontrolled. So, it’s well worth learning a bit about it
and learning strategies to deal with it when it occurs. Of
course, every person is different. The strategies listed
here may not work for some as well as they might for
others, but this quick guide should get you headed in
the right direction:
Remember that anger makes you do dumb things. It’s
a potent emotion that in many ways pushes our brains
back to an earlier evolutionary stage. When you get
angry, your brain is hit by a tidal wave of chemicals and
hormones, including adrenaline, noradrenaline, and
testosterone. The purpose of these chemicals is to
reduce inhibition, which they do by effectively bypassing
your brain’s front temporal lobes.
This knocks your inhibitions out in seconds – anger doesn’t,
as may believe, make you stronger or braver. It simply takes
away your natural inhibitions against over-exerting yourself
or getting into dangerous situations. The thing is, your front
temporal lobes are also responsible for higher cognitive
functioning. Dulling them down with anger chemical literally
makes you less intelligent. Anger is therefore great for facing
down a saber tooth tiger, but not so great for conducting
debates over social media. It’s worth noting that being angry
is a lot like being drunk. Your inhibitions and intelligence are
similarly compromised. The best way to prevent yourself
from getting drunk is to refuse drinks. And the best way to
control anger is to stop it before it has a chance to switch
your brain off.
Don’t Drink in Angry Situations
Alcohol and anger are a dangerous combination. The
two fuel each other in a self-perpetuating cycle, until
either you exhaust yourself, you sober up, or you
get arrested. If your inhibitions are already lowered
due to alcohol, you’re more likely to respond to the
kind of provocation you’d otherwise ignore, and thus
get into situations which see your anger levels rising
dangerously.
Lie Down
Your instinctive response when angry is to assume an
upright, engaged position. This is natural – all animals
try to make themselves look bigger when they’re angry
or scared. Humans are no different.
Breathe
Breathing calmly and steadily can convince your brain
that you actually are calm.
By Helen Jospeh
8 HEALTHY MAGAZINE