Angry Face!

 

Generally, I'd consider myself a pretty chill person. Not a lot can phase me. It takes quite a bit to get under my skin, but when that happens... oh, boy. Oh, boy. I go angry-faced, big time. 

We've all got moments like that, right? Moment where we feel like we've reached our very last limits-- we've put up with everything for so long that something finally pushes us over the line. And then we become a walking rage machine of a human being. Anyone who happens to be in our way really ought to take cover. (On a side note, if you've never read Sneaky Hate Spiral from Hyperbole and a Half, go, NOW. It illustrates this rage rampage perfectly-- not to mention hilariously.) 

But you know what? Being angry is such a drag.

It feels good for a tiny, tiny period of time-- to finally let that anger that's been building up out. But I hate the anger hangover that always happens after an outburst. It's not a comfortable feeling. Whether it's feeling like an asshole for blowing up like that, or just carrying around that negative energy-- it never really feels good to be angry.

So I try to do something about it before it gets to that point.

I like to think of anger as a symptom of an illness.

When we feel like we've caught something, we usually rush to curtail the symptoms before it gets worse. We take medicine, we rest-- we take care of ourselves.

Try taking the same approach with anger. Think of your angry thoughts as a disease. They get in your body, and like a fever, they cloud your thinking. They can make you sick and dizzy. Your heart starts to race, your blood feels like it's boiling... yikes. If we caught a virus that caused the same symptoms, wouldn't we seek medical help?! 

So, next time you're starting to feel that rage starting to build up inside you, think of it that way! Anger is like a nasty little virus, and you should get some effective treatment to get rid of the discomfort as soon as possible!

Mahalo, everyone!