Managing stress can help manage anger by breaking the cycle that we fall into when we become irritable and angry. When stress levels increase, you can become more irritable than usual, which can lead to outbursts of anger. On the flip side, being angry often can elevate your stress levels, creating a self-feeding cycle. Over time, this takes a toll on your body, often resulting in health issues and destructive behaviors.
How do stress and anger affect your body?
Have you ever wondered why stress and anger make you feel so tired or sick? It might seem silly, maybe you think it’s all in your head, but that’s not true at all. Both stress and anger trigger the sympathetic nervous system – your “fight or flight” instincts. This causes your body to increase production of hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, which prepares your body to fight or run away. When you’re stressed or angry, your body is literally preparing itself for a battle, even if there isn’t one! When these hormones are produced for long periods of time, you can start to develop health issues such as heart disease, digestive problems, and even anxiety or depression.
How can you manage your stress?
Since stress (and anger) can be so hard on your body, it becomes even more important to find ways to manage it. You can manage stress with a lot of the same tools you use to manage anger: emotional regulation, or self-awareness, mindfulness, active listening, and more. Developing these tools can help you deal with everyday stressors, which in turn helps with anger management. By creating these habits, you can stop the cycle of stress feeding into anger and vice versa and start creating a new cycle of self-awareness and mindfulness helping to calm your intense feelings. You’ll also probably start physically feeling better as the hormones begin to work out of your system.
How can you develop these tools?
Managing your emotions is like losing weight; if you don’t practice what you learn, you won’t be successful. Having a support system can help you practice and help you understand how to deal with unfamiliar situations. You can lean on other people, such as trusted friends, family, and even a professional support person or group, to help you navigate difficult situations. Being able to talk about your challenges, and more importantly celebrate your successes, is crucial to your journey to better self-awareness, controlled anger, and less stress. Support people can help give you the tools you need to be successful, which is our goal at Peaceful Battles.
Always remember that you don’t have to struggle alone! We want to help guide you on your path to a new, calmer you! If you’re ready to take that first step, contact us today and let us help you fill up your toolbox with new techniques to improve your life.
