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- Anger is best viewed as a tool that helps us read and respond to upsetting social situations. Research overwhelmingly indicates that feeling angry increases optimism, creativity, effective performance—and research suggests that expressing anger can lead to more successful negotiations, in life or on the job.
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- Nancy Lovering
- Consider why you’re angry. Anger doesn’t exist in a void — there’s usually an underlying obstacle or issue. If you assess what’s making you angry, you may be able to find the source of the issue instead of directing your anger at the wrong person or problem.
- Look for what you can change. Sometimes anger can be a catalyst for progress. If your anger stems from repeated frustration with your situation, you can channel your anger into making some changes.
- Identify your emotional triggers. Self-awareness can be incredibly helpful for controlling and channeling your emotions effectively. In a moment of anger, if you can pinpoint why you’re upset, you may be able to learn more about your sore points and emotional catalysts.
- Use anger for boundary setting. Gaining personal insight is a key part of self-improvement. Anger contributes by helping you discover your values and priorities.
While overt aggression is clearly a destructive force, some recent experiments suggest that anger, and related emotions like frustration or irritation, can also bring some advantages – provided...
- Anger Is Designed to Promote Survival
- Anger’s Discharge Is Calming
- Anger Provides A Sense of Control
- Anger Energizes Us
- Anger Motivates Us to Solve Problems
- Anger Makes Us Aware of Injustice
- Anger Drives Us Toward Our Goals
- Anger Injects Optimism
- Anger Protects Our Values and Beliefs
- Anger Is A Bargaining Tool
Emotions evolved to keep us safe. Our fight response, which evolved so we could defend ourselves from an enemy or danger, stems from anger. Anger is embedded in our primitive need to live and protect ourselves against aggression. Anger drives people to be extremely vigilant about threats and sharpens our focus. When we are threatened or attacked by...
When you are angry, you experience physical and emotional pain. When you experience physical and emotional distress, anger strongly motivates you to do something about it. As such, anger helps you cope with the stress by first discharging the tensionin your body, and by doing so it calms your “nerves.” That’s why you may have an angry reaction and ...
Anger is related to a deep need for control. Anger protects what is ours, helping us feel in charge rather than helpless. The function of anger is to inflict costs or withhold benefits from others to increase our welfare. Individuals who experience and display their anger appropriately are in a better position to fulfill their needs and control the...
From a survival perspective, we defend ourselves when we retaliate and make other people fear us. Anger guards us when someone wants to hurt us. It gives us the strength and aggression to help us overcome a stronger enemy. In day-to-day situations, anger serves as a positive force to motivate us to stand up for ourselves and creatively find solutio...
When we feel like things are out of place, we can get angry. If things are not the way they are supposed to be and need to change, anger propels us to do something and motivatesus to find solutions to our problems. Anger is triggered when we face an obstacle or individual (or something else) that blocks our needs. It prepares us to deal with the ob...
We often experience anger when we are denied rights or when faced with insults, disrespect, injustice, or exploitation. Anger serves as an internal guidance system that indicates something is not quite right, that someone has treated us unjustly or unfairly. Anger helps communicate to others: “You’d better treat me fairly; otherwise, you’ll pay a h...
Anger pushes us to pursue our desired goals and rewards. When we don’t get what we want, anger is triggered and indicates we have moved away from our desired objectives. Anger tries to eliminate whatever prevents us from realizing our desires. It energizes and pushes us to act in service of achieving our goals and working toward our ideals.
Surprisingly, anger can trigger optimism. It can encourage us to focus on what we hope to achieve, rather than merely focusing on the pain, insult, or victimization. The anger system is geared toward what is attainable, not the impossible. When we are angry, we often feel positive about our ability to change the situation, empowering us to take act...
Anger serves as a social and personal value indicator and regulator. It is activated when our valuesare not in harmony with the situation we face. Accordingly, it makes us aware of our deep-seated beliefs and what we stand for. It also motivates us to rectify the discrepancy and take action to change the situation (or our belief) to align the reali...
Anger erupts naturally when someone puts a lower value, or weight, on your welfare relative to their own. Anger is designed to recalibrate the situation and thus increase our value. Anger also strongly asserts our position and may lead to compliance by others. Anger drives us to respond to conflict in a way that helps us bargain to our advantage. I...
But what if I told you that anger, often seen as destructive, can actually be one of your most powerful tools for personal growth? Instead of suppressing it or letting it explode, you can...
- Relaxation. Simple relaxation tools, such as deep breathing and relaxing imagery, can help calm down angry feelings. There are books and courses that can teach you relaxation techniques, and once you learn the techniques, you can call upon them in any situation.
- Cognitive restructuring. Simply put, this means changing the way you think. Angry people tend to curse, swear, or speak in highly colorful terms that reflect their inner thoughts.
- Problem solving. Sometimes, our anger and frustration are caused by very real and inescapable problems in our lives. Not all anger is misplaced, and often it’s a healthy, natural response to these difficulties.
- Better communication. Angry people tend to jump to—and act on—conclusions, and some of those conclusions can be very inaccurate. The first thing to do if you’re in a heated discussion is slow down and think through your responses.
Feb 18, 2024 · According to a groundbreaking new study published by the American Psychological Association, anger can be turned into powerful motivation to help you accomplish your most...
Aug 30, 2024 · Learn how to harness anger as a tool for success. Discover research-backed strategies and real-life examples for using anger to improve focus, persistence, and action.