| Fact Sheet |
Anger is usually a healthy part of our emotional repertoire. Anger is our body’s way of indicating something is wrong, that we are not happy and that we need to take action to make things better.
In the past, someone’s anger might have been triggered by the fact that a rival was stealing food or prized possessions and consequently they would fight to keep their rights and possessions. Today, though the causes are different, for example, someone taking advantage of us at work, anger motivates us to take action against perceived unfairness.
However, dealing with anger today is a far more complex issue and has to obey the ‘rules of engagement’ of the society we live in. The risks and implications of an anger outburst are usually far greater in the workplace than at home. | | | Whereas at home your family may choose to accept the way you behave with you angry outbursts, this kind of behaviour is not tolerated in the workplace and will be viewed as unprofessional. | |
| The physical effects |
Like stress, anger has a profound effect on the body. As anger rises, the hypothalamus in the brain stimulates the pituitary glands to release a range of hormones that affect every part of our body. The main player, adrenaline, and Cortisol, exert their influence via the cardiovascular system and other organs. Adrenaline causes the heart to beat faster and the blood pressure to rise, which in turn allows oxygenated blood to flow to areas of the body that are responsible for reacting to the source of anger. Historically, the areas needing the extra energy were the limbs (to run and fight) and the brain (to think faster) whilst blood is diverted from less needy areas, like the stomach. Extra energy is also provided by the release of additional sugar or glucose into the blood. The effect of all this hormonal activity is a rapid heartbeat, breathlessness (as the lungs struggle to take in more oxygen) high blood pressure and a raised body temperature.
In trying to produce a more socially acceptable response to feelings that cause anger, the result is that often the anger does not really subside and the hormones continue to surge around the body. This can lead to job stress, heart disease, high blood pressure and anxiety.
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| Acid test |
Are you continually disappointed and irritated by others failing to meet your expectations? Then consider lowering your general expectations to help manage your anger – it might be a worthwhile trade-off.
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| What category would you put yourself into? | | Aggressive person | Passive person | | Too assertive (too much expression) | Too little expression, seems laid back | | Lack of awareness of the rights of other people | Lack of awareness of his or her own rights | Has no respect for people feelings, so that they
win enemies not friends | Takes the unpopular job or takeson too much work | Not there to please everyone all the time.
Expresses anger but in a way nobody.
can complain about. | Different in expecting anger. Had to say others are more important than themselves | | These people generally get promoted | These people get handed jobs that they don’t want to do. | |
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We will teach you to express yourself in the workplace in a responsible and controlled manner. We will teach you techniques to communicate without too much emotion. We will enable you to take that energy and demand what you really want from life in a slightly more controlled way.
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| Are you an "imploder" or an "exploder"? |
Exploders tend to move from anger to rage quite quickly. They tend to harm people close to and around them. They have, in effect, an adult temper tantrum and they normally find it hard to stop the physical symptoms and social consequences. When temper tantrums begin to seem normal, some ‘exploders’ don’t see the problem until it is too late.
Imploders tend to bottle in their anger. They don’t let it out on account of fear or anxiety, and this can and will affect their confidence and self esteem. Without anger management training, these people can become like a pressure cooker, waiting to do the opposite of what their name suggests… explode!
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| FACT SHEET ON SIMPLE POSSIBLE RESOLUTION |
Preventative techniques
You are far more likely to get angry if you are:
H Hungary
A Anxious
L Lonely
T Tired
Some books suggest that it is beneficial to do something physical after an incident of raised anger. Transferring the chemicals into an activity such as swimming, jogging, walking briskly or yoga, can possible dissipate some of the chemicals that you have built up after an anger inducing moment.
Distancing techniques
 | Go for a walk or do some physical exercise | | If you have to, take yourself out of a meeting | | Put a caller on hold | | Refuse to be drawn into a discussion ( in a non confrontational way ) | | Request a less confrontational way of discussing a problem, such as email, rather than face-to-face |
Self-talk statements Say to yourself |
| Worse things can happen | | As angry thoughts or negative thoughts enter your head, shout to yourself, ‘STOP! STOP! STOP!’ | | As angry thoughts or negative thoughts enter your head, shout to yourself, ‘STOP! STOP! STOP!’ | | My anger will pass | | ‘People say things they do not mean when they are angry | | I have to expect these things to happen | |
Reduction techniques
Say to yourself |
| If I put this into context in my life it is not worth getting upset about. | | Will I remember this event in five years time? | | My health is more important than this. | | I am not going to give this person the satisfaction of upsetting me. | | ‘In the grand scheme of things, it is not worth getting upset about. | | Or you can talk about the situation that has upset you with close friends. | |
| These are important treatment areas |
| Understanding anger | | Temper control | | What anger isn’t | | Anger scale (degrees of anger) | | Feelings | | Dos and Don’ts | | Attitudes | | Giving and receiving feedback | | Behaviours | | Anger management | | Defense mechanisms | | Recognition and expression | | Causes | | Anger facial expression and body language | | Road rage | | Mindfulness | | The wheel of emotions | | | |
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