On... Letting Go of Your Anger

Anger can strike time! Sometimes you can’t stop yourself from getting angry, whether it’s from the guy who cut you off while you were driving to work or from the dirty dishes left in the kitchen sink by your loving family.

What can you do? Take a breath. Honestly, try it. Sit at the edge of your chair, place your hand over your diaphragm (on your stomach, above your belly button and below your rib cage). The diaphragm inflates, similar to a balloon, and can expand if you really focus on placing your breath in this area. Think of an opera singer. They have to learn to breathe in, hold and contain the air, and release the air at certain rates in order to maintain the note that they are belting (from their belly!)… By breathing into the diaphragm, we are able to focus our breathe. It also makes our body respond in physical ways, including slowing down our heart rate, which can help us to relax. Breathing can help to create a mental space where you can process the anger, prior to responding to it. It is also important to address the actual anger and to identify the triggers for you anger. However, sometimes in the moment we have to learn to calm ourselves, prior to addressing the issue. Maybe it will even help us to avoid an anger outburst or from holding in our anger.

Next time you are angry and you want to manage the anger before it gets out of hand or impacts you in more than you want, try breathing!