Anger

Welcome back to Dispatch Education. Today we want to talk about your anger. I bet you think we are going to tell you it is wrong and you should not get angry. WRONG! We want to always be honest with you. Anger is a real emotion that everyone feels. Anger can even be used for good with you allow your anger to propel you to change.

We will tell you that anger can be a negative emotion with negative outcomes. Really, it all depends and how you respond and react to your anger. Recognizing that you are beginning to feel angry is the first step in responding well. It may seem obvious but the signs of getting angry include pounding heart, gritting your teeth, sweating, tight chest, shaking, anxiety, raising your voice, being snappy or defensive, temporarily losing your sense of humor, pacing, getting a ‘flash’ of a bad mood, being overly critical of someone and feeling argumentative.

Now that you know what to look for, here are three steps to responding positively to anger. First, count to 100. Yep. My mom used to tell me this as a kid and it is still good advice. It forces you to focus on something else and gives you time before you respond and lash out in unhealthy ways.

Move your body. Exercise is a positive way to burn off negative emotions. Take a walk, ride a bike, do jumping jacks, just get moving. As your body releases positive hormones, you will begin to feel better. IF those don’t work, find a punching bag and take your frustrations out on the bag.

Talk it out with someone you trust. Go have a cup of coffee, glass of wine or milkshake and share your frustration and anger with a friend, family member or trusted colleague. Sharing your anger will dissipate it in most in stances. That is it for today. We hope you have a great day and we will see you tomorrow.