Anger is a perfectly normal and healthy emotion – if you know how to control it. Uncontrolled anger and angry outbursts can have both negative social and health consequences. Angry outbursts increase the levels of adrenaline and cortisol in the bloodstream, and for older adults already at risk for certain cardiovascular diseases, these raised levels can sometimes lead to stroke and heart attack. Besides that, angry outbursts can confuse and alienate friends and family and make you feel out of control. Here are a few tips from the Mayo Clinic to help manage your emotions and tame your temper.
Take a timeout. They work for adults, too. Take a few minutes for yourself during the day to de-stress, meditate or just relax.
Get some exercise. Exercise releases endorphins–happy hormones– that help relieve stress and anger.
Talk it out. Communicate your feelings to a loved one and don’t be afraid to ask for help finding solutions to the problem that’s causing your frustration.
Try breathing. We often tell children to count to 10 before speaking when they’re angry. The real reason is that the counting forces them to take deep breaths. When you take deep breaths from the abdomen, you inhale more oxygen, which makes you feel more relaxed and less tense.