We all know that feeling, that bubbling up from within the depths of our stomach as our anger takes over. It can be the smallest of things that sets us off. There is a slow stiffening of the muscles as the river of tension engulfs us and that deep feeling of blood boiling until we either unleash a verbal assault, lash out physically by perhaps hitting something or silently force those feelings back within.
Whether you are the kind of person who wears their anger on their sleeve, so to speak, or whether you are the kind who keeps it all locked away, they are equally damaging to both body and mind.
Our anger affects the mind by altering our normal positive frame of being with a rush of negativity. If we allow the anger to take root within our thoughts we will begin to see and feel more of our negative range of emotions such as greed and jealousy.
As for the physical affect of anger. The adrenal gland is disturbed and sends us into a fight or flight response which in turn sends us into a state of imbalance. It is when we are imbalanced that other parts of our body are affected too, the immune system is attacked and our overall health is jeopardised.
Many people will say ”I don’t want to feel angry anymore!” and in reality you hold the keys of change within yourself. The first thing to do is to develop the skill of pausing within the moment, the moment when you begin to feel enveloped by anger and ask yourself whether this situation is worth hurting yourself for. Whether the motorist on the road that has cut in front of you should be given the satisfaction of causing you ill health and I guarantee that your answer will be ‘no’ you would not want to give them that satisfaction.
The next time you feel that bubbling up of anger: Pause, Question, and Reflect. You may surprise yourself by how you can turn things around.
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