Anger

Anger is a natural human emotion that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. It is a feeling that arises when a person is frustrated, hurt, or feels wronged in some way. Anger can be directed at a specific person, situation, or thing, and can range in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury. 

Our emotions are aspects of ourselves that can not be measured, or seen but we know that they exist because we feel.  Our emotions are the inner signal that warns what we are experiencing in the outer world.  

When a person feels angry, their body responds by releasing adrenaline, which triggers the “fight or flight” response. This causes a surge in energy, heart rate, and blood pressure, preparing the body to either confront the perceived threat or flee from it. This physical response to anger can be helpful in some situations, such as when a person needs to defend themselves from danger. However, if anger is not properly managed, it can lead to physical and mental negative consequences.

Anger is often linked to negative behaviors such as aggression, violence, or hostility. When a person acts out in an aggressive or violent manner due to anger, it can result in harm to themselves or others. 

Understanding that anger is a secondary emotion usually attached to fear or sadness.  Fear includes feelings of anxiety, worry, and abandonment, sadness includes loss, betrayal, disappointment, or discouragement.  When these core issues aren’t dealt with, they can surface in a very destructive way.

Feeling afraid makes any of us uncomfortable, it can make us feel out of control and vulnerable.  We try to combat that by using our anger to make us look authoritative and in control. 

In addition to these negative behaviors, prolonged or intense anger can lead to a range of physical health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and a weakened immune system.

There is always a root cause to all of our problems.  Learning to first understand that and processing the emotion attached to the situation is imperative to learning how to manage our emotions.

Understanding when we think negatively and make negative choices, the quality of our thinking suffers, which means the quality of our brain structure suffers.

Negative thinking is not the norm.

The brain is what the mind does. Our choices and decisions cause the genetic expression to happen to the brain.  We have a choice, in how we respond to any given situation.   When we react our emotions are in control, it’s quick and fast usually without any forethought, causing damage.  When we step back and learn to process our emotions and make the choice to respond appropriately we take back our power and our emotions are no longer controlling us, we are controlling them.   We have positioned ourselves back in a place of power.

Managing anger is essential for maintaining a healthy and balanced emotional state. One way to manage anger is through relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation. These techniques help to calm the body’s physical response to anger, reducing its intensity. Another way to manage anger is through cognitive behavioral therapy, which teaches individuals how to identify and change negative thought patterns that contribute to feelings of anger. Additionally, expressing anger in healthy ways, such as through assertive communication, can be helpful in resolving conflicts and reducing tension.

We live in a society full of anger and discourse. Letting anger reside long enough within us slowly eats away at us, decaying, hardening, and embittering our hearts. Anger isn’t always a bad thing; how we manage our anger is of the utmost importance. 

Some questions to ponder.

1.  What makes you angry? Can you manage your anger productively, or is it out of hand? How does it come out? Do you turn it inward or strike out at others?   
2.   When we become angry because of a situation, or a person, the longer we stay in that place, the more power we give to the very thing that angers us. Things happen unjust things, unfair things. People say and do hurtful things. Take a long hard look at what triggers your anger and what person or situation you are giving your power to because you’re angry. Create a response plan for the things that make you mad. When we respond differently, we maintain control of our world, not the situation or person.
3. “A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones.” Proverbs 14:20 The Message. What does it mean to be empowered?