Navigating Anger

 

An emotion, most of us deal on everyday basis, is Anger. It is generally quoted as an outcome of stress due to various reasons, but as per studies conducted by research groups, anger is said to be something we opt for. Anger is our reaction to other people’s behavior that does not coincide with our thoughts.

As anger works negatively on people, there has got to be a solution to overcome this factor. What makes us angry is our own response to certain situation which establishes the emotion. One reacts to the same situation either in an angry manner or composed way. One theory believes that anger is based on our thinking and so to change the reaction, we have to modify our thoughts. It is very important to acquire a state of tranquility to deal with this situation. Another theory says that anger definitely is an outcome of fear. We get angry with the fear that something might go wrong. Fear causing anger is classified mainly into two sections – one is termed as reality and the other is called imagination. The effect of reality is to a great extent, short-lived and disappears within no time, whereas imaginary fear continues for a longer period because it never materializes. This prolonged imaginary fear turns into anger and if this is stretched for too long, can eventually lead to severe depression.

The best means to deal with this situation is to tackle the fear factor. Mostly anger is dealt by striking out or by stifling. Managing anger means controlling emotions through thought processing or changing the thoughts to a certain situation. An effective way to handle anger is to ensure that our thinking is reasonable. For some, anger is like a defense mechanism.  It is put into practice when they are concerned about something. It is also believed that many a times this tool is used to camouflage one’s own mistakes and sometimes to dominate others. Research groups affirm that anger can be retaliation towards injustice. When you are frustrated and cannot do anything to get justice, the feeling of anger surfaces. In an angry state it is apparent that the thought process is ambiguous.

It is therefore suggested that one should understand the anger factor clearly, and follow the course of action mentioned below, to overcome the emotion that can destroy or damage one’s existence:

1.    In a state of anger, avoid too much conversation.

2.      Be indifferent to those who try to make you angry. If you do not respond to their provocation, they will refrain from repeating the act

3.      Try to control your anger by convincing yourself that this is not going to benefit you in any way. Let your inner voice take charge and avoid retaliating to anger.

4.      Use compassion to deal with those who evoke anger.

5.      Divert your mind from the situation completely.

6.      A simple deep breathing if not meditation will help immensely.