Listen to your anger pt.1

What’s your first thought when you feel anger?

Is it to suppress it? Express it to someone? Or take an hour at the gym to release it? Or perhaps do you go straight to the fridge?

Whatever form your immediate reaction may look like, I would like to invite you to this challenge.

’Take-a-moment’

I say this again,

’Take. a. moment.’

It’s ever so easy to burst into the emotion and take anger rain all over us. But the more we explode, the more energy we need to come back into our body and the mind.

Taking a moment allows us to take a step back and centre ourselves before we let anger take complete control of our entire self. And better yet, while you’re taking a moment, try breathing 3 times. Let’s do this together.

Put your hands on your chest (heart), and your other hand where you feel most tense when you’re angry (your gut, stomach etc).

Deep inhale through your nose, slowly exhale through your mouth.

Again, deep inhale through your nose, slowly exhale through your mouth - make sure all the air is coming through from your body.

Last time, deep inhale through your nose, slowly exhale through your mouth.

Compare how your body feels before and after breathing. I’m sure you feel your muscles are more relaxed, your breathing isn’t heightened, there isn’t a knot in your gut (or wherever that was tense) - all good things.

Your mind feels more calm, it’s no longer in fight or flight mode anymore. You’re able to think more clearly and perhaps with more logic and kindness as well - again, all good things.

After you’re done with the breathing (or before is okay too!) - journal your thoughts. What triggered your anger? What was the situation? When in the day was it that you got angry? Ask yourself those questions and write it down. And the more that you journal, you’ll eventually start seeing a pattern to your anger.

The pattern may be coming from your childhood and that you felt as though you are living the past all over again, or perhaps you were re-enacting your past because you don’t quite know otherwise. Whatever that maybe, the important point is that you’re able to understand and acknowledge yourself better.

And that’s your first step! Part 2 to follow soon.