How to Cope With Anger

Not Quite Zen

Anger is a very difficult emotion to regulate because it’s a natural response to feeling threatened. Our primitive brains are wired to protect us from perceived danger, and when we feel threatened, it triggers our fight or flight response. It’s that all too familiar adrenaline rush that floods through your body, tenses up your muscles, and signals to your brain that it’s time to stand up and fight or run away.

In many cases, anger is a sign that you’re standing up for yourself and asserting your boundaries. Therefore, hot-button topics and disagreements may quickly send you into a rage. I can relate to this problem. Even though I have improved my mental health in many ways, calming down from anger is still a challenge for me. This is especially true when I’m triggered by something unexpectedly.

When anger catches you off guard, it can be overwhelming and lead to aggressive behavior. Some people are better than others at managing their anger, but if you’re prone to getting angry frequently, it’s important to develop techniques that will help you manage those feelings. I’m not always able to stop myself from reacting angrily to situations in the moment, but here are some tips that I use to calm down from anger and move on from challenging situations.
This episode will cover:

• How to Stop Being Reactive
• How to Avoid Anger by Understanding Triggers
• Understanding How Anger is a Secondary Emotion
• Creating Space With Mindfulness
• How Anger Shows up Physically
• Calming Techniques
• When to Walk Away
• And more

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