Julie BassettHow to master your anger response, learn to use it to your advantage, and diffuse difficult situations
Anger, like joy or sadness, is a normal emotion, one that we have all experienced and will continue to experience. It’s a natural response to a situation in which we’re frustrated, irritated or provoked. In situations that trigger us, the body gets ready for fight or flight, with anger readying us for the fight option. It’s normal, even good for us, to feel anger sometimes, especially when it’s justified - anger enables us to express a negative reaction to a situation, rather than bottling it up inside, and it makes us want to seek out solutions to problems. But anger can also lead to danger: for example, road rage can impact our ability to drive safely.
While it might be one of the ‘basic’ human emotions, it’s also incredibly complicated, and we all have our own individual thresholds of what causes us to feel anger.
"WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL THRESHOLDS OF WHAT CAUSES US TO FEEL ANGER"
WHAT IS ANGER?
Anger is an emotional response, a reaction to a situation where you feel challenged, criticised or your boundaries overstepped. It is an intense emotion that can leave you feeling stressed, frustrated, annoyed and irritated, but there are also different levels of anger. It can range from minor annoyance, through to controlled rage and even irrational overreaction. The triggers for our anger are unique; what fills one person with seething rage might simply be a minor inconvenience for another. It can be useful, especially for children, helping us to learn right from wrong, and showing us where our morals and values lie.
When something bothers us and we feel anger, this can manifest both physically and mentally. You might feel tense and tight, get a headache or jaw ache, feel hot and sweaty, notice your heart pounding, or experience racing thoughts. You may find it hard to focus or concentrate, and be less in control of your emotions. Inside your body, your brain is sensing danger and will release adrenaline (to prepare you for a stressful or dangerous situation), noradrenaline (involved in cognitive function and stress reactions) and cortisol (in response to high anxiety and stress).