Anger

When we’re angry, we tend to feel it in our bodies. We might experience a change in body temperature, increased muscle tension, increased heart rate or blood pressure–we also may clench our firsts or grind our teeth. Many people even cry when they get angry. 

While anger does not feel or look the same in everyone, there are a few common ways anger is expressed:

• Verbally by shouting, name-calling, or otherwise expressing oneself in a way we otherwise wouldn’t
• Physically, by pushing, spitting, hitting, or breaking things. This reaction to anger can be particularly dangerous and traumatic to others.
• Internally by redirecting the anger at oneself, and attempting to bury or ignore anger entirely
• Passively by expressing anger in subtle and indirect ways. This includes giving another person the silent treatment or making snide remarks. 

Having some anger is normal and healthy. However, if you lose control of it, it can be detrimental. Learning ways to manage your anger and find a healthy outlet for it can make a huge difference in your quality of life.

The ability to feel angry is something deeply ingrained in our biology.¹ Anger, like sadness or frustration, is caused by a mismatch between what we expect to happen in any situation and what actually happens. That triggers our brain's reward circuit and activates the fight-or-flight response to prepare us for physical aggression. When anger is triggered, it can cause our heart rate and blood pressure to increase and a flood of adrenaline and testosterone. 

An area of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex usually helps to keep our anger in check: It allows us to consider how we’re responding to something in context and guides us to behave in a socially acceptable way. But that does not happen in all cases, and not for all of us. 

The sudden rush of adrenaline can cause us to react in extreme ways, such as a sudden outburst or physical aggression. These reactions can cause a fallout in our relationships and social life that we’re then forced to deal with after the fact. 

You’ll then need to consider ways to deal with anger in the moment and in the long term. If you can, try to step away, even just temporarily, to decompress. 

Finding a proper outlet to channel your anger can make a huge difference. It’s also important to prioritize ways to deal with anger in a healthy way, whether that’s physical activity, rest or other forms of stress management. 

Trying a few things and finding what works for you can have tremendously positive effects on your well-being and the relationships you have both with yourself and the people you care about–it can even turn a bad experience into an empowering one by redirecting negative energy into something positive.