Solution for Overcoming Anger

Last Updated on Friday, 27 May 2011 08:14 Written by HeartMath Friday, 17 December 2010 09:19

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Solution for Overcoming Anger

What Is Anger?

Anger can be defined in many ways: from a loss of calmness, displeasure or irritation, to hostility or rage. When anger takes control, it is nearly impossible to focus on anything except that which has made us angry. Feelings of anger might dissipate after a few moments, linger for a day or take hold for months or years. Sadly, many people lead lives of one volatile encounter after another and don't know why or how to overcome anger.

"When you have a long history with anger, when you've put a lot of emotional energy into that anger, you've imprinted a pattern in your brain that's hard to break."

— Transforming Anger, Childre and Rozman, 2003.

Anger Builds

Anger often starts off as something small and builds. You're impatient, irritation grows, judgment leads to blame and now you're angry. Justified or not, the anger causes incoherence in your heart rhythms that activates stress hormones. Research has shown one five-minute episode of anger is so stressful it impairs your immune system for more than six hours.

The Quest to Overcome Anger

Eliminating anger and the longstanding habits that allow anger to trigger can be hard at first. The good news is HeartMath techniques have been proven effective in breaking the cycle of anger and all of its consequences. The techniques are very easy to learn and are based on extensive scientific research that has revealed how the heart and the brain communicate.

"Search your heart," the saying goes, for therein lies the answer. Heart intelligence, we now know, is a resource that not only can help us overcome anger, but can guide us in transforming our entire lives as well and the process can be scientifically monitored.

"In recent years, neuroscientists have made an exciting discovery. They've found that the heart has its own independent nervous system – a complex system referred to as 'the brain in the heart.' The heart's intrinsic brain and nervous system relay information back to the brain in the cranium, creating a two-way communication system between heart and brain."

— The HeartMath Solution, Childre and Martin, 1999.

Transforming Anger: The HeartMath® Solution for Letting Go of Rage, Frustration, and Irritation Childre, Rozman, 2003
If you feel you can't control your anger, this book offers you hope as well as practical tools to help you succeed. You'll learn what researchers and scientists have learned: The human heart has intelligence all its own that you can tap into to overcome anger, stress and much more. Also includes complete details of the Go to Neutral Tool.

A HeartMath TIP:

The moment a feeling of anger starts to arise is the time to employ this simple exercise adapted from the HeartMath Go to Neutral Tool.

Take a time-out to disengage from your thoughts and feelings, especially stressful ones. Actually say to yourself, "time out," as you recognize and feel your emotional triggers, then step back from all reactions to them.
Shift your focus to the area around your heart and feel your breath coming in through your heart and going out through your solar plexus.
Tell yourself, "Go to neutral," and remain in this neutral zone until your emotions ease and your perceptions relax.

Benefits of Living Anger Free

Relationships, communication improve
Enriched outlook on life
Healthier, more energy
Calmer around people
More focused at work, school, play

"The relationship between anger, heart attacks and other adverse health effects is well documented. You can learn how to not only defuse this deadly emotion, but how you can transform it into positive feelings."

— Paul Rosch MD, President, American Institute of Stress

Tools for Overcoming Anger

Eliminating Anger: Anger has become a serious issue for many people, but with a new approach and a little heart we can learn how to better manage this powerful, negative emotion. The HeartMath emTech® Media audio program or e-booklet can help.

emWave®: Regular use of this scientifically validated, stress-relief technology has proven to be a vital tool in reducing anxiety, stress, anger, emotional chaos and boosting energy and vitality. The emWave technology is easy to use and noninvasive. It will help you achieve heart coherence – synchronization between the heart and brain – and reach your optimal physical, mental and emotional balance. When your emotions are in balance, you stop the energy drain and start the energy gain. Then, by practicing the easy-to-learn techniques you'll receive with your emWave only minutes a day will help you revitalize and re-energize your mind, body and spirit anytime, anywhere.
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emWave® Desktop: emWave Desktop turns your computer into a self-contained heart-rhythm-coherence monitor and manager. It lets you see how thoughts and emotions affect your heart rhythms – negative ones pulling you down and draining your energy, positive ones lifting you up and allowing your body to perform its normal function of replenishing your energy. Discover how easily you can reduce your stress level and replace those negative emotions with positive ones that, with a little practice, can give you instant energy boosts and gradually help build a more invigorated you. Relying on decades of scientific research, the emWave Desktop, in tandem with key HeartMath techniques that you'll receive and easily learn, will help you increase your energy and start living life more fully.
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(Note: Use the handheld emWave and emWave PC to help regulate your emotions in preparation for events you know may trigger anxiety and to help you recover from stressful episodes and get back on an even keel fast.)

The Physiological and Psychological Effects of Compassion and Anger, Rein, Atkinson, Mcraty, 1995. Researchers conducted this study to determine the various effects, including on heart rates, of anger and self-induced positive emotions on a group people.
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