It is well known that one of the biggest obstacles in life is a destructive type of emotion called ANGER. An uncontrolled and unmanaged anger can easily get us in a lot of trouble in both our personal and professional lives. Feeling angry about something bad that just happened to us or when someone has treated us badly is a completely normal reaction of human beings, but letting our anger control our lives is not a healthy or an intelligent decision.
Having difficulties controlling our anger can lead to many medical problems and can also increase the risk of developing many mental issues, including depression, substance and alcohol abuse, chronic anxiety, and eating disorders.
Controlling our anger or appropriately expressing it is not an easy task, but it can be done if we put in practice some anger management techniques. Next time you start feeling angry or “really upset†about something; STOP, take a deep breath, get yourself out of the situation that made you angry, and after you are calmed down and relaxed, do the following:
1) Identify the situation that made you angry.
2) Once you have identified what or who made you angry, try to find or identify a possible solution for the issue in hand without accusing or pointing fingers.
3) After identifying and implementing a possible solution, move away from the issue and do not hold grudges.
4) Forgive and forget.
Following these simple techniques every time you feel angry will help you control and/or appropriately express your anger and not let it affect or control your life or the lives of those around you. If your anger is still having a negative effect on your life after practicing the above excercises, I encourage you to visit a mental health professional who can help you and guide you to develop more personalized anger management techniques that in one way or another will help you live a positive, healthy, and “serene†life.
Remember, “life is ten percent what happens to us and ninety percent how we react and deal with the situation.†Lou Holtz
About the Author:
Marielys Camacho-Reyes is a graduate Psychology student at the University of Phoenix, a Career Coaching student at the Coach Training Alliance, and a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). For more information on her: www.mcrcareerdevelopmentcoaching.com.
