Few people think that while you are experiencing stress and irritation, not only your psycho-emotional state but also your physical state suffers (blood pressure rises, heart rate and breathing increase, muscles get tense, insomnia and digestive problems develop, and adequate reality perception problems appear). Geniusbeauty.com addressed psychologists and found out how to overcome anger (and negative emotions) in order to get rid of unpleasant consequences, and significantly improve your well-being.
Inhale and exhale repeatedly
Experts remind that, when you are irritated, you switch to shallow breathing, which, in turn, limits the access of sufficient oxygen and prevents concentration. Therefore, start breathing slowly and deeply, transferring all your emotions to this process and after some time you will reach a calm harmonious state. Admirers of yoga and meditation, for instance, know that proper breathing works wonders and recommend that everyone should experience this in person.
Exercising instead of stress
When you start to get angry, adrenaline is released, which prepares your body for a possible threat. That is why you often want to defend your position with your fists and show the offender your true value. In this case, experts recommend to artificially create a certain activity and release energy. For example, do 20 squats, run a couple of laps, pull up and so on.
Humor is the best medicine
Experts believe that laughter helps to cope with a fit of anger, therefore they recommend not to provoke the situation, but to turn everything into a joke in time. Thus, you can save your psycho-emotional state, and the relationships with others will not spoil. Just do not overdo it, otherwise, people might think that you are laughing at them and will be offended.
Chill out
If you are used to experiencing negative emotions deep inside, once they will overwhelm you, and even those people who are not fortunate enough to be somewhere nearby will feel it. To prevent this, psychologists recommend to vent feelings from time to time and, as they say, “chill out”.
The main thing is to find a suitable place not to touch someone accidentally with your emotional wave (for example, you can go in for boxing, cheer for your favorite sports team, visit a place where you can break something and so on). After such manipulations, you will feel relieved. To avoid the situation, just try not to bring everyone to the extreme and tell others what you don’t like.
Switch attention
Instead of getting obsessed with negative emotions (anger, stress, irritation, thirst for revenge, etc.), try to “switch” to something creative. For example, use the same anger in order to multiply your abilities and prove to the abuser (and everyone around you) that you can achieve a lot and do not give up in difficult situations.
In this way, you can do something useful, perhaps even invent something that will glorify you later. Why not?
Walk and dream
Another sure way to get rid of stress and curb your emotions is to leave the offender and go for a walk along your favorite streets or in the park. The latter option is preferable because plants produce oxygen, which allows you to think clearer and look at the situation more globally.
A promenade around the city is also suitable only if you don’t walk along a stuffy highway or a busy street. Otherwise, you can get even more negative thoughts, and in the heat of the moment will do something that you will regret later. Therefore, choose quiet and secluded places for your walks and in the process try to think about what gives you pleasure.
You can swallow your anger with food – but you’d better not do that
This does not mean that you have to empty the refrigerator or devour sweets, fast food, and other harmful products. For example, according to a recent study by British scientists, 15 minutes of chewing help reduce the level of the stress hormone cortisol and relieve the muscles of the body from stress.
Therefore, as soon as you understand that you start to lose your temper, just arrange a 15-minute break and eat a snack with something useful (carrots, nuts, cucumbers, apples, waffles, crackers, bread and other products included in the lists of healthy lifestyles).
Solutions come in the morning
This is not accidental that people invented this saying. Experts support the idea and recommend going to bed in an incomprehensible situation. Thus, in the morning you can look differently at what happened, with your mind “fresh”. In addition, during the night you will calm down and react to everything in a different way and will certainly find a way out even from the deadlock.
In order to get rid of irritability and temper, try to sleep for at least 7-8 hours not jumping up in the middle of the night to answer a random call, read a message, or return to the refrigerator. Only continuous sleep will help you regain strength and nerves.
“Splash out” your emotions on paper
“Paper cannot blush” – this phrase was invented a long time ago, but now it has become more topical than ever. Many modern people have switched to “virtual letters”, almost forgetting what pleasant and soothing emotions can be obtained simply by writing down on a piece of paper everything that is going on in your heart at the moment.
In order for this technique to work quite effectively, psychologists recommend that you describe your state as accurately as possible (remember all the smallest details), and then tear the letter into small pieces. Thus, you will be able to get rid of anger and forgive the offenders.
Take a cold shower
Or at least wash with cold water. According to experts, such a procedure helps to cope with the heat of passion, to relax nerve receptors, to saturate the body with oxygen and, accordingly, to calm down faster. Therefore, instead of hitting the offender with fists and trying to defend your position, just offer him (and yourself at the same time) a glass of cool water, go to the lavatory to refresh yourself and cool down a bit.
