Balance May 2018 - 39

T O O FA S T 2 F U R I O U S

The
ABC of
ANGER

THE UNDERLYING CAUSE OF ANGER
The root of anger is said to be fear, but is this
really the case? Psychologists sometimes
refer to anger as a secondary emotion, and
with a little digging, you might discover that
another feeling is giving rise to anger. At the
heart of your anger you may feel afraid that
your partner doesn't care enough about you,
disappointed that your friend didn't stand
up for you, hurt that you're being treated
unfairly, or frustrated that you're powerless
to change a situation.
From a psychological perspective, we
experience anger when a rule that we hold
about the world is violated. Anger is the
equivalent of the flashing warning light on
your car dashboard alerting you to the fact that
something is amiss. Our personal rules about
the way that the world should be are influenced
by our unique experiences, including our
upbringing and past relationships. That's why
the causes of anger vary from person to person.

TO VENT OR NOT TO VENT?
When we're stressed and angry, we often take
it out on others. Anger is the most seductive
human emotion. We feel powerful, energised

REPRESSING,
DENYING OR
IGNORING ANGER
CAN MAKE IT BUBBLE
UP MORE OFTEN
and justified. Getting it off our chest is the
best thing to do, right? Sadly not. Venting
your anger can intensify your feelings,
adding fuel to the fire blazing inside you.
Plus, if you're used to flying into fits of rage,
the latest research suggests every time you
have an angry outburst you're over four
times more likely to have a heart attack in
the following two hours.
Should we bury our anger instead? You
might be tempted to put it in a box, push it
deep down inside and forget it ever existed.
Anger? What anger? Repressing, denying,
ignoring and pushing it away can result in it
bubbling to the surface more often.
So what's the best way to deal with it in
the moment? Anger is a natural, human
experience. However, it can be destructive
when we act in unhelpful ways. The key to a
balanced and healthy life therefore lies in how
we relate to our anger.
Bringing down general stress levels is
an important long-term way to reduce
outbursts. What's your antidote to stress?
Running, yoga, kick-boxing, meditation,
writing or chatting with a friend? Looking
after yourself in this way will enrich your
life. It could even save it. B

Seeking help

Is anger affecting your work, relationships or overall
quality of life? It takes courage to recognise when
anger is problematic, so if you think you need help
dealing with your anger, please contact your GP.
Below are some other useful resources:
* bemindful.co.uk * bigwhitewall.com * mind.org.uk
* Samaritans: telephone 116 123 (24 hours)

40

BA LA N CE May 2018

Try out this evidence-based
three-step strategy to channel
your rage for a positive
outcome.

A CKNOWLEDGE
YOUR ANGER

Notice the signals you're about
to turn into the Hulk, including
physical sensations (feeling
hot), thoughts ('this isn't fair')
and behaviours (raising your
voice). Once you recognise
your emotion, call it by its
name and put into words how
you feel. 'Hello anger. I'm
feeling frustrated right now.'
This may seem weird at first
and you might not want to say
this out loud, but neuroscience
has confirmed this strategy is
an effective way to manage
anger. Remember the amygdala
that's implicated in stress and
emotions? Simply labelling
an emotion dampens the
activity in response to negative
circumstances.

B REATHE

SLOWLY
AND DEEPLY

Breathe out for longer than
you breathe in (for example,
in for four seconds, out for
eight). Research shows this
activates the parasympathetic
nervous system, calming your
body by reducing your heart
rate. Rather than becoming
consumed by anger, you're
giving yourself something else
to focus on.

C HOOSE
YOUR ACTIONS
Anger can be constructive,
motivating us to change. In the
midst of anger, the part of our
brain responsible for making
sensible long-term decisions
goes offline, making us more
likely to act ineffectively
and do something that will
worsen the situation. Remind
yourself you don't have to
act immediately. You can still
address the situation and right
any wrongs after the fury train
has ground to a halt. Once you
can think clearly, explore why
you're angry and take the most
effective course of action.



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance May 2018

Balance May 2018 - 1
Balance May 2018 - 2
Balance May 2018 - 3
Balance May 2018 - 4
Balance May 2018 - 5
Balance May 2018 - 6
Balance May 2018 - 7
Balance May 2018 - 8
Balance May 2018 - 9
Balance May 2018 - 10
Balance May 2018 - 11
Balance May 2018 - 12
Balance May 2018 - 13
Balance May 2018 - 13
Balance May 2018 - 14
Balance May 2018 - 15
Balance May 2018 - 16
Balance May 2018 - 17
Balance May 2018 - 18
Balance May 2018 - 19
Balance May 2018 - 20
Balance May 2018 - 21
Balance May 2018 - 22
Balance May 2018 - 23
Balance May 2018 - 24
Balance May 2018 - 25
Balance May 2018 - 26
Balance May 2018 - 27
Balance May 2018 - 28
Balance May 2018 - 29
Balance May 2018 - 30
Balance May 2018 - 31
Balance May 2018 - 32
Balance May 2018 - 33
Balance May 2018 - 34
Balance May 2018 - 35
Balance May 2018 - 36
Balance May 2018 - 37
Balance May 2018 - 38
Balance May 2018 - 39
Balance May 2018 - 40
Balance May 2018 - 41
Balance May 2018 - 42
Balance May 2018 - 43
Balance May 2018 - 44
Balance May 2018 - 45
Balance May 2018 - 46
Balance May 2018 - 47
Balance May 2018 - 48
Balance May 2018 - 49
Balance May 2018 - 50
Balance May 2018 - 51
Balance May 2018 - 52
Balance May 2018 - 53
Balance May 2018 - 54
Balance May 2018 - 55
Balance May 2018 - 56
Balance May 2018 - 57
Balance May 2018 - 58
Balance May 2018 - 59
Balance May 2018 - 60
Balance May 2018 - 61
Balance May 2018 - 62
Balance May 2018 - 63
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BALANCE_MARCH_2020
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BALANCE_FEBRUARY_2020
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/balancejanuary2020
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BALANCE_DECEMBER_2019
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BALANCE_NOVEMBER_19
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BALANCE_OCTOBER_2019
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/balanceseptember2019
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/balancejuly2019
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/Balance_June_2019
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/balancemay2019
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/balance_april_2019
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceMarch19
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceFebruary19
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceJanuary2019
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceDecember2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceNovember2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceOctober2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceSeptember2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceAugust2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceJuly2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceJune2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceMay2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceApril2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceMarchIssue2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceFebruary18
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceJanIssue2018
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/balancedecember2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/balancenovember2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceOctober2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceSeptIssue2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceJulyIssue2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceJuneIssue2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceMayIssue2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceAprilIssue2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceMarchIssue17
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceFebruaryIssue2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceJanuaryIssue2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceDecember2016
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceNovember2016
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceOctober2016
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceSeptember2016
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceJuly2016
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceJune2016
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceMay2016
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceLaunchEditionApril2016
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/Balance2016
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/BalanceNov
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Balance/Balance
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com