CAPTION THIS
Don’t be so angry, bro. Here’s why …
- Your stress hormones kick into overdrive causing your heart to work a lot harder
- Your breathing goes into hyper mode. (Self-defense tip: If you see someone’s nostrils flaring, you need to leave or de-escalate the situation.)
- Your body prepares for either flight or fight. If that happens, you artery walls will suffer
…researchers found that healthy people who are often angry or hostile are 19% more likely than calmer people to get heart disease. Among people with heart disease, those who usually feel angry or hostile fared worse than others. – Source: WebMD
What can you do?
I asked a few local experts (kids at the pool today) what they thought. In no particular order, here are their suggestions for controlling anger:
- Break pencils
- Play a video game, especially one that lets you break stuff
- Go swimming
So, there you have it! Easy, right? Seriously, though, the kids are right on the money according to researchers. Here are a few things the American Psychological Association recommends:
- Breathe deeply, from your diaphragm; breathing from your chest won’t relax you. Picture your breath coming up from your “gut.”
- Slowly repeat a calm word or phrase such as “relax,” “take it easy.” Repeat it to yourself while breathing deeply.
- Use imagery; visualize a relaxing experience, from either your memory or your imagination.
- Nonstrenuous, slow yoga-like exercises can relax your muscles and make you feel much calmer.
Practice these techniques daily. Learn to use them automatically when you’re in a tense situation. – Source: APA
If all else fails, get a collection like this:
https://youtu.be/eVo3LbVWjWc
Good luck, and remember, in a few minutes, days, months, or years, what you were angry about probably won’t matter all that match. Let it go.
