Letting Go of Anger:
What Getting Angry Really Is
and How to Release It from Your Life
by www.Sedona.com
Anger, though unpleasant, is a completely normal emotion. At its heart, "getting angry" is nothing more than a mass of feelings - such as sadness, frustration, disbelief, or vengeance - that present themselves to you in a moment.
At this level, anger is not harmful, particularly if you simply let the feelings flow through, and away, from you. Yet, when it moves beyond this stage, to your physical and cognitive being, your health and relationships may be at risk.
Anger on a Physical, Psychological and Cognitive Level
You can easily feel anger when it moves into your physical body. Your muscles may tense up. Your heart rate increases. Your jaw clenches. All of these things are the result of your body's programmed release of the hormone adrenaline. This hormone is what helped your ancient ancestors to prepare for a "fight or flight" response.
On a cognitive level, anger may appear as recurring thoughts that can range from a healthy, "Anger is just a feeling," to the harmful, "The world is awful," or "If my spouse loved me he would never say that."
While anger cannot harm you if you learn to release it (we'll discuss how to do this later), most people do not let go of anger. Instead, they tend to hold on to it.
Over time, holding on to anger can cause your health to go on a downward spiral. In fact, anger:
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Increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, according to the August 2007 issue of Brain, Behavior and Immunity.
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Decreases lung function, according to the journal Health Psychology.
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May predict your risk of heart disease better than other traditional risk factors like high cholesterol, cigarette smoking and weight, according to a study in the November 2002 issue of Health Psychology.
Further, anger and rage have also been linked to emotional pain that, if left unchecked, can lead to depression, substance abuse and other problems.
Of course, anger is also stressful, and stress is responsible for 75 percent to 90 percent of Americans' doctor visits, according to the American Institute for Stress.
If you are holding on to anger, your personal and professional relationships will also begin to suffer, either because of your negative outlook, silent "simmering," violent outbursts or tendency to "lose it" over minor problems.
Shocking Anger Statistics
Just how widespread is anger? The British Association of Anger Management has compiled some telling 2006 statistics about anger in the UK:
- 45% of UK adults regularly lose their temper at work
- 33% of Britons are not on speaking terms with their neighbors
- 1 in 20 have had a fight with the person living next door
- UK airlines reported 1,486 significant or serious acts of air rage in a year – a 59% increase over the previous year
- More than 80% of UK drivers say they have been involved in road rage incidents
- When facing computer problems, 50% of Britons have reacted by hitting their PC, hurling parts of it, screaming or abusing their colleagues
Further, a new mental illness was revealed in 2006 called intermittent explosive disorder (IED). By definition, IED involves extreme rage, such as outbursts that are unwarranted for the situation, and that can include threats, attacks on others, throwing and breaking things, and even spousal abuse.
As many as 16 million Americans may be affected by IED, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Anger among U.S. teens is also a growing problem. In fact, more than one in three high school students, both male and female, have been involved in a physical fight, according to SafeYouth.com, with one in nine of them having been injured badly enough to need medical treatment.
Letting Go of Anger
As soon as you begin to feel angry, whether because of rush-hour traffic, your neighbor's barking dog, a child who disobeys or a rude salesperson, this is the time to tap into your natural ability to release negative emotions, like anger, anxiety, rage and more, so you can feel calm and at peace even during tense situations.
By releasing your anger, something you can learn to do on the spot using The Sedona Method, you are freeing yourself from its negative side effects, including mental upset, physical disturbances and relationship tension.
"When you perceive you are about to lose control, simply ask yourself the easy-to-learn and easy-to-remember questions that make up The Sedona Method, and you will feel the tightness leaving your stomach, shoulders and chest," says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates.
"In its place," Dwoskin continues, "you will feel ease, relaxation and confidence. You will no longer feel angry and out of control, stressed and frustrated."
By using The Sedona Method, you are quite literally making the choice to be happy instead of angry. It really is that simple once you realize that any feeling, even anger, is something that you can easily let go of.
"And remember, the feeling of anger will not resolve the situation. In fact, it often makes it worse," Dwoskin says. "On the other hand, when you feel relaxed, you will be capable of handling whatever life throws at you more easily. The noise of your mind will subside, and you will have the clarity of mind to say and do what is appropriate and natural in order to master any life situation."
Sources
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity Volume 21, Issue 6, August 2007, Pages 816-823
American Psychological Association June 3, 2007
British Association of Anger Management
www.safeyouth.com
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