In my 2 years of blogging, this is the first time I feel it’s appropriate to talk about anger. With a new political climate and new year, our anger has been activated in a way we’re unfamiliar with.
I don’t handle my anger well and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I have never directed any anger physically towards anyone and I have no arrest history related to anger and harm. On the contrary, I’m pretty non-confrontational. I get mad at dumb drivers like anyone else but this post isn’t talking about road rage. This is about the side-eye that turns ugly.
The side-eye that poisons your energy.
The side-eye that makes you distrust EVERYONE.
The side-eye that makes you difficult to be around and bleeds into your home.
In the midst of an angry and distrustful society, let’s look at 3 healthy ways I reset my mood. I will also include additional resources at the end!
STEP OFF SOCIAL MEDIA
Thank God for the delete function! How many times have you wrote a post (or text) and furiously deleted it after? GUILTY!! Let me save your reputation, social media footprint and your JOB by asking you to slowly step off social media. Trust me, sometimes my Twitter fingers want to get the best of me. Here’s how you can prevent writing that angry post or comment: email it to yourself. Whether you write it on paper or email yourself, please use this blogger’s favorite tool and EDIT. Write it down and look at it again in 60 minutes. Thank me later.
MOVE IT MOVE IT!
Did you know that physical movement is healing? Bi-lateral movements that use both sides of your body (walking, boxing, running, stair climbing, basketball) are healing to parts of your brain affected by trauma. Any kind of energy that gets trapped in your body is damaging. Shaking out your hands or doing jumping jacks are a good way to refocus your energy. I hold anger in my shoulders and neck. The downward dog position helps me stretch out those knots. Use loud breaths or sighs while pushing further in this pose. If work is the source of your frustration, get up and move around during your breaks. If you’re lucky enough to have privacy during a conference call, do jumping jacks or squats in your office. Additional tip: Walking my dog does wonders for my spirit. When I disconnect from the indoors and watch my beagle do her cute little strut, I can’t even remember what I was pissed about.
GRAB THE MIC
If you follow my antics on Snapchat then you have seen my morning wake up calls. I play a motivating song to get my day going. Mind you, I’m not angry in the morning but I like setting my tone for the day with a song to get me hype. If music helps improve your mood, think about the feeling you DESIRE instead of being angry. If your anger needs to inspire healthy action (making positive changes, standing up for yourself) then choose songs with those messages. If your anger is unhealthy to your spirit or energy find songs or melodies that bring about peace, calm or humility. Stevie Wonder always resets my spiritual thermostat. When I feel anxious or scared I crave classic R&B (think Otis Redding & Sam Cooke). Make sure you have a Spotify or Pandora playlist that you can instantly turn to in case of emergency! Don’t forget instrumental music or sounds of nature to tune out bad vibes! In honor of my word of the year (bravery) I created an Apple Music playlist called “2017 Power List.” What will you call your playlist?
This weekend’s march utilized all of these suggestions above. I moved, I chanted and I somewhat disconnected
Managing your anger in healthy ways doesn’t mean you magically forget what made you angry. Resetting your mood helps you stay grounded so you can think & react clearly. Click To Tweet None of us want to say or do something we’ll regret. If you can’t seem to shake off your anger, seek out professional or spiritual help.
Additional resources:
Grief related anger: http://whatsyourgrief.com
Professional articles on anger for kids and adults: http://psychcentral.com
Healing Through Movement: Getting Back Up After A Broken Heart by Dr. Crista Gambrell
How do you effectively deal with anger??
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