What Uncontrolled Anger Can Do To Your Life

Anger is a normal and usually healthy human emotion. We have all felt angry at one point in our lives; it is characterized as either a momentary annoyance or full-fledged rage. Unfortunately, anger can be a huge problem if it gets out of control and becomes destructive. Uncontrolled anger can result in relationship problems and can affect the overall quality of a person’s life.

If you have a problem with managing your anger, you need to take necessary steps to rein it in. Do not let your negative emotions take control of your life. This article lists a few anger management tips, but before that, you should first understand what uncontrolled anger can do to your life.

The Importance Of Controlling Your Anger

Some people think that releasing your pent up anger is healthier than keeping it all in. There are also some individuals who believe that their anger is justified. However, you need to understand that anger is more likely going to damage your professional and personal relationships, impair your judgment, take away your opportunities, and have a negative impact on how people perceive you. Here’s how uncontrolled anger can hurt you and those around you:

• Physical Health: When your stress and tension level is always on high, it can have a negative impact on your health. Chronic anger will make you more vulnerable to heart problems, high cholesterol levels and blood pressure, weakened immune system, and diabetes.
• Mental Health: If you are constantly angry, you won’t be able to concentrate or focus on the things you should be doing. You won’t be able to enjoy life because negative thoughts and emotions cloud your thinking. Keep in mind that uncontrolled anger can also result in stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental distress.
• Opportunities Lost: Lashing out on your colleagues, supervisors, or clients won’t help your career. In fact, if you are unable to rein your anger in, you might end up assaulting someone which might result in misdemeanor charges. Although misdemeanor crimes are usually considered as less serious, a conviction can negatively impact your life, says the defense attorney at Tad Nelson & Associates. For one, you will have a hard time finding employment. A bad reputation can haunt you for years, making it harder to grab opportunities.
• Hurts Your Relationship With Others: Chronic anger can cause long-lasting scars in the people you love. It can also ruin family relationships as well as friendships. Those you love will find it hard to trust you, feel comfortable around you, or speak honestly when they are with you. Keep in mind that uncontrolled and explosive anger is most damaging to children.

Tips For Dealing With Anger

Focus On Your Anger Signs: Although you might think that this is counterintuitive, focusing on your anger signs usually lessens the intensity of this emotion. Once you notice these signs, you should take a minute and walk away for a while before you completely lose control.

• Knots in your stomach
• Faster heartbeat
• Tension in your shoulders
• Clenching your fists
• Have trouble concentrating
• Feeling flushed

Count To Ten: Doing so will help you cool down so that you will be able to overcome your natural impulse to lash out. Once you feel like your anger seems to be getting out of control, you should stop and count to ten. You could also take a brisk walk or listen to music while counting. These activities should help you calm down while releasing your pent up negative emotion.

Exercise: One of the best ways to manage anger in the long term is through exercise or meditation. Doing so will help lower your stress levels. For instance, you can run, walk, swim, or do yoga and meditation for a few minutes every day. This will lower your stress and help you manage your pent up anger. Making exercise a part of your everyday life will help you get rid of anger.

Get Help: Seeking help from a professional can help you explore the reasons behind your chronic anger. This will help you address the root cause of the problem. Therapy provides you with a safe environment to know more about the reasons for your anger and identify the triggers.

Citations:

• Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The author, Kris Lim, is a blogger for self-help websites. In this article, she discusses how uncontrolled anger can affect your life.