Anger is one of the most complex and difficult emotions to understand. While there has been much work that has shown the problems associated with depression and anxiety, anger has been more difficult to come to grips with. For a long time, it was thought that anger, if properly expressed in a constructive manner, was healthy. Howeverm research done on Type A personalities---people who are intense, workaholics, and controlling---has shown that it increases the risk of heart problems. More importantly, it has been discovered that stress-reduction strategies that lower anger levels also improve people's physical health. There is also evidence that people who frequently express anger tend to have poorer overall health, and that high levels of stress and anger can raise cholesterol.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to manage feelings of anger. The first is to change the way you think. Though we may expect people (and this includes ourselves) to behave in a certain way, they sometimes don't. This can cause anger. One way to manage anger is to be less hard on people: If they do something different than what you expected, let it go. Another method is to not think of things in terms of black and white, or either/or. Ignoring gray areas can cause stress and anger. Finally, jumping to conclusions can easily inspire anger. Instead of thinking that you already understand a situation, take some time to talk and to work things out.
Another way to reduce stress and anger is through meditation. There are many forms of meditation that have been shown to help relieve feelings of stress. Meditation helps you clear your head and take your mind off of problems. It can be very calming, and can provide a needed source of relief in the middle of a hectic day. One advantage of meditation is that it can be done relatively quickly and almost anywhere. The best results are achieved if you meditate for at least 20 minutes two times a day.
