Anger is both an emotion as well as a phase in the cycle of grief. It can be a tricky emotion to navigate and many people view it in a negative light. It is not inherently a bad emotion, but it is what we do with it that matters.
Anger is a Driver
Anger is an emotion that I have struggled greatly with. It is not an emotion that I experience on a frequent basis, so it is one that I am uncomfortable feeling. I also tend to feel a lot of shame once a moment of anger has passed. One thing that my therapist has told me is that feeling this way is not a negative thing. It is a very natural and valid emotion.
In fact, it helps us to recognize injustice. Not just recognize the injustice, but drive us to change that injustice. If we were always happy, things would never change, we would never grow. Anger may show us that we need to switch jobs, get out of a toxic relationship, stand up for ourselves, or demonstrate what we truly and most desperately want in our lives. The key is that we have to take a moment to recognize where this emotion is coming from.
What Do We Do With This Emotion
Anger often gets a bad reputation because it can lead people to act out aggressively. It is important that we navigate this emotion in ways that are healthy. Healthy ultimately means in ways that are not harmful to ourselves or others.
Unhealthy ways of coping with anger include:
- Fighting others
- Tearing up property
- Committing an act of self-harm
Healthy ways of coping with anger include:
- Doodling/drawing that feeling out
- Journaling
- Exercise (including kickboxing, running, etc.)
- Channel that energy into creating change
This is not an emotion that we want to hold onto and let fester within us. It is one that we need to get out of our body using a healthy coping mechanism. How do you navigate feelings of anger?
