Anger is a powerful emotion, and it adversely affects our lives, relationships and overall state of mind. In fact, anger more than any other emotion can bring us down. It is truly a joy-kill.
This article will provide an overview of how anger affects our emotional health.
* What is anger?
Anger is a common emotion. It’s what you feel when something bad happens, such as losing your job through a reorganization. It is what you feel when someone rejects you, or says something hurtful to you.
You may often react in anger when something unfair happens, such as being diagnosed with an illness. It springs up when someone is a jerk to you.
* When is anger unhealthy?
Anger is an emotion that all people experience at times. Sometimes it can be healthy, in that it can motivate you to make a change or take action.
However, when someone holds on to anger, in the form of deep-seeded emotions, then anger becomes debilitating. It can destroy a person’s life, including their relationships and self-esteem.
Anger, left unmanaged, is like a storm that gathers strength over time. Eventually it may erupt in the form of abusive behavior. It can lead people to say things they will later regret.
Anger often fuels people to drink too much, or to turn to other addictive behaviors. It causes them to hold a grudge. It blocks forgiveness, and it stops people from resolving issues.
When someone lives in anger, it will affect their overall emotional health. Anger can make depression worse. Anger can contribute to a bad attitude. Anger can cause someone to give up, or to blame others.
* How can you manage your anger?
Try to be honest with yourself. Is anger an emotion you experience on occasion, or is it something that is a large part of your life? Are you able to control yourself when angry, or do you act like a total maniac when in a rage?
If you feel that your anger is an issue, you should take action so that it will stop controlling your life. You would be wise to seek counseling. There are also anger management classes that greatly help those who truly want it.
The key to managing anger is learning how to be less reactive to the small things and to learn to work through some of the bigger things. Anger is lessened, too, when you learn to accept life on life’s terms.
Key to managing anger, too, is learning how to forgive others. Sometimes, others will wrong you. It is up to you to decide whether and how to forgive. It is through the act of forgiveness that anger is often released.
Anger can cloud your judgment. It can worsen your mood. It can greatly damage your life. The good news, though, is that it can be contained and managed. There is a solution for those who seek it.
