By Srishti Chauhan:
There are times in life when you cease to exist. We have all been there and done that, so to say. There are times in life when an alternate ‘you’ is born. It’s not something you’re forewarned with bolts of lightning or announcements from a loudspeaker. These are moments that creep from beneath the nooks and crannies of the psychosomatic system and unexpectedly over-power you. Yes, I am talking about uncontrolled anger.
Anger is probably and arguably worse than the seven sins put together. What you do during moments of anger is the worst you could probably do. There is a famous quote which states that the words you’ll most regret throughout your life are the ones said during moments of rage.
Medical experts have found that anger reduces the capacity of heart to pump blood. This damages the cardiac muscles. This is the very reason why people get heart attacks post extreme fits of fury. Anger can be caused by very slight things-maybe the lady at the cash counter who isn’t giving you change and is insisting that you arrange for it or maybe your buttered toast isn’t buttered just enough or maybe the man sitting next to you in the bus is taking too much space for you to be at ease.
Anger should be controlled- in a healthy way. Suppressing anger and getting inwardly frustrated can have bad outcomes too. Hypertension is one ailment caused by long-term subduing of anger.
Controlling anger is not a prodigious task. It, like most things in life, requires practice and strength of will. Every time you feel that anger is taking over think of the most calming thing that you know of. According to experts, during moments of extreme anger the best thing to do is to close your eyes and imagine yourself to be in the place where you want to be the most in the world. It may be a beach, the mountains, your home, the river you always dreamt about, your hometown… anything that has a calming influence over mind and body.
One more approach to control anger is to close your eyes for 30 seconds and analyze what made you irate and if that thing is worthy enough to demand your attention. Think about it- 5 years from now; will any of what is so disturbing right now really matter? Will you remember the driver who tried overtaking you from the wrong side? Or even the lady who broke the queue to order the last piece of what you waited for an hour to order? Is it worth your attention?
Anger has many side-effects, most of which are so cosmic that very few of us realize it. Many people justify their bouts of anger by grading it as an ordinary human emotion. They are of the view that anger should not be suppressed. Instead, it should be let out. However, expression of anger may have major consequences which few imagine. Anger has a jeopardizing effect on the relationships– be it filial or otherwise. Not many people would be ready to take it if you burst out at them too often.
In times when tempers cause you to be blinded by rage, look at things from an unbiased observer’s point of view. If you are right, you have no reason to get angry. If you are sensible enough to choose what is right then be sensible enough to calm down and treat things objectively. On the other hand, in case you are wrong, accept your fault and back down. Winners aren’t always the last men standing. Moreover, life has never been a race or a battle. It’s a journey where you choose what you are and what you do. Choose the best for yourself. Be a master of your emotions. It’s like a famous quote which says that life is too short for regrets. And to make happy memories, being in control of your mind is not only obligatory, but inevitable!
Image courtesy: http://www.mustreadstuff.com/anger-management-techniques/