Yes, I said it. Embrace your anger. Sounds like a dangerous or unhealthy thing to do but really it's not. Not entirely. No one likes to be angry. It truly is a low energy emotion that only causes anxiety, hurt and frustration amongst other negative toxic feelings. But learning to understand and embrace your anger can also help you to grow as a person and be better not only for yourself, but for your partner, family members or coworkers.
For many of us, anger is a very unhealthy emotion that leads to devastating results within our relationships but when we learn to understand our anger and deal with the triggers, the frequencies of our outbursts may become less and less. I get that some of us need anger management courses or workshops to help deal with extreme anger and I applaud all of those who have taken necessary steps to improve their lives. It's not easy for most of us to admit we have a problem, so when a loved one does and take the steps to improve their life, support and encourage them every step of the way. That's a big step.
So why should we understand and embrace our anger anyway? Here are 5 reasons why that I think will help you next time you get angry at someone or about something.
Unresolved issues.
When someone makes us angry by their words or actions, oftentimes it is a trigger for something that is unresolved in us. A pain or trauma that we haven't entirely finished dealing with. It might be time to reopen that old wound, deal with it once and for all and put it behind us.
Live and learn.
Cliché yes, but that's how we learn. Through error and sometimes anger. Often when we are angry about something, and we come to learn that quite possibly we were overreacting or didn't get the whole story, we will know next time to calm ourselves first and then deal with the situation once all the facts are in or when we know it's not directly about us. We learn from our anger and our mistakes.
Help others.
Yes, we can do that from our anger. When we get to the bottom of our anger and have dealt with it effectively then we can help others deal with similar situations. We may not be experts but we can teach and empower from experience. Experience really is the greatest teacher of all. It will also help you grow as a person.
Say it like it is.
You will often hear couples say "oh we never fight". It makes me think if they are just bottling up any and all ill feelings they have or perhaps they are only revealing them to their best friends and not their partner. Getting angry at your partner isn't necessarily a bad thing. When you passionately exclaim your needs or expectations, they get it. If they truly love you, they will respect your needs and support you any way they can.
Let's get things done.
If you're angry at your boss again for the 3rd time this week and you see this has become a pattern now, maybe it's a sign or a push for you to start looking for another job and get the heck out of there. It clearly shows that your workplace is not the best environment for you and maybe it's time to move on or perhaps even follow a passion. How many days a week do we need to be upset with our boss before we realize that it simply isn't good for your health?
Anger is often a sign of underlying issues but sometimes anger pops up when things need to change. Is there something in your life that is ready for a change? Next time you are really angry have a look at your surroundings and what triggered you. Dig deep and find out how this can be resolved or reduced. Anger simply isn't good for your health.