Are you an angry bird? Try these tips when you lose your temper at work

Dr Anoop Amarnath

Identify the cause or trigger of your anger. Once we identify the things that tend to make us angry, it is easy to avoid them.

Anger is a basic human emotion. It is one among the many primary emotions that human beings experience – these include happiness, sadness, fear, surprise and disgust. Anger is a strong feeling that is usually triggered by an unpleasant experience.


WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY
Our brain is the master command centre for all emotions. There is a small area in the brain called the ‘amygdala’. The emotion of anger is initiated in this region of the brain. Once this is triggered, various hormones get released. These include adrenaline and noradrenaline – which, in common parlance, are known as stress hormones or the more colloquial – ‘flight, fright and fight’ hormones.

Once these hormones are released, various changes happen in the body. The heart rate goes up. The average normal heart rate is about 70 beats per minute and this shoots up. Our breathing rate, which is about 14 times a minute, rapidly increases. The muscles become tight, and we tend to clench our teeth and also break into a sweat. When blood pressure increases and because of the increased blood flow the face and body appear flushed like a tomato!

The brain is so beautifully constructed that there is another part called the pre-frontal cortex which counteracts the effects of the amygdala. This area helps us in rational thoughts and judgements. The ‘feel good’ hormone – serotonin -- helps, to a large extent, to balance out the stress hormones. Hence, anger is an imbalance in the functioning of these particular areas of the brain and hormones.

WAYS TO CONTROL ANGER...

• Identify the cause/trigger – Once we identify the things that tend to make us angry, it is easy to avoid them. It may be a person, a personality trait, an event or even certain words and topics of discussion. If any of these triggers have angered you in the past, it is best to foresee them and avoid it like the plague.

• Walk away - Many a time you may find yourself in a situation which may not be of your making. These are difficult to foresee but have a potential to trigger an angry response. It is best to walk away calmly and avoid confrontation. So, the next time you are overtaken by a brat on a bike, don’t go chasing!

• Let go – It is easier said than done but there is only one thing that we could do to things that are beyond our control- that is to let go.

• Feel good – Each of our sense organs reacts favourably when they encounter a pleasant trigger. So, if you are angry, try the following:

- Eyes: A cozy romcom, a funny video or a favourite family photo
- Ears: Soothing music or spiritual chants
- Taste: Your favourite ice cream or comfort food
- Skin: A warm bath, a shower or even a nice hug
- Smell: A fragrance which you like the most

These stimuli tend to release the feel-good hormone serotonin and counteract the anger response

• Relaxation techniques like deep breathing, yoga and meditation

• Physical activity such as running, walking and working out at the gym Any of these techniques or a combination of them goes a long way in addressing anger.

• Frequently getting angry is known to be a risk factor for diseases such as strokes and heart attacks. In fact, studies have shown that adults with no history of heart disease but who suffer from chronic anger are 19% more likely to get heart problems as compared to people who rarely experience anger.

Hence, try not just to avoid becoming angry, but also to control and manage it because it is simply not worth it.

—The author is chairman, geriatric medicine and HOD internal medicines at Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru.

* Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.