We explain what anger is and what its effects are on the body, both visible and non-perceptible. Also, tips for handling it.
What is anger?
It is known as anger or rage (and its more extreme versions: rage and fury) when feeling of more or less violent irritation or annoyance which arises from an internal or external stimulus or situation. This type of sensation can also be focused on a specific reference or stimulus, or expressed in a general and non-specific way.
The anger It is part of the primitive responses that humans and animals exhibit when faced with threatening situations and are usually accompanied by a set of physical and mental symptoms, as the body and mind prepare for the possibility of violence. However, the spectrum of rage includes visceral reactions of this type, as well as calmer ones, such as indignation or resentment.
The word anger comes from the Latin verb innoiare (“cause abhorrence”), which could come from abbreviated expressions and sayings, such as in hate esse (“to be hated”). Its arrival in Spanish took place in the form enoyarwhich ended up being the current anger, and it did so within the cultural framework of Christianity, in whose tradition it is part of the capital sins, that is, of the seven sins that engender other sins and therefore the most severely repudiated.
See also: Susceptible
Effects of anger on the body
Anger is perceptible from its physical manifestations, especially when affect facial expression and body language and in the most extreme cases, reaching physical or bodily aggression. This It is usually accompanied by an alteration in perceptions and self-control as well as in the objective observation of reality. That's why angry people interpret things differently than calm people would.
Apart from these changes that respond to the physical and mental preparation for the coming aggression, anger usually causes a series of identifiable physiological effects in the body, such as:
- Increased blood pressure levels heart rate and breathing, all symptoms of the body's preparation for fight or flight.
- Increase in the production of adrenaline and norepinephrine.
- muscle tension and body stiffness, which can later develop into contractures and generalized fatigue.
- Increase in stress levels.
Tips for managing anger
Anger can be a natural reaction, but its continued presence leads to physical, emotional and social problems, so prudent management is always necessary. That does not mean repressing it, but implementing strategies that allow us to experience it in a less destructive, tragic or harmful way for those around us. Some of these strategies are:
- take a break. The most common problem with anger is that it triggers immediate, spontaneous, poorly thought-out reactions, which we may regret moments later, but which will not always have a solution. Thus, the ideal is to take a pause before doing or saying something in an angry manner, which can be done by counting to 10 or taking the trouble to take 5 slow, deep breaths.
- Express anger verbally. Emotions cannot be completely contained, and what is not expressed verbally is usually expressed through other means, for example, by acting in a certain way. Thus, before allowing the body to react violently, it is preferable to express anger for what it is: a temporary feeling. Thus, it can be very helpful to say out loud “I'm upset,” “I feel very angry,” or something similar that is not insulting and also alerts the other person to what you are feeling.
- Interrupt in case of emergency. If things are getting out of control, a timely retreat will always be better than making a mistake. So if we notice that we are overwhelmed by anger and that we are no longer thinking clearly, perhaps it is time to cut off the discussion and resume it later, or to leave the scene of the dispute before everything escalates.
- Reflect once the anger has passed. This is key to making anger a more meaningful experience in life, which allows us to know ourselves better and deal better with situations that arise in the future. This means that, once things have calmed down, we must return to the situation mentally, but not to relive it, but to think about it in a cold and rational way, which allows us a clearer and more sensible judgment of how we acted and how things turned out.
Continue with: Conduct
References
- “Anger” on Wikipedia.
- “Anger” in the Language Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Etymology of Anger” in the Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary.
- “How to control anger” in American Psychological Association (APA).
- “Anger Management: Ten Tips to Control Your Temper” at Mayo Clinic.
