“Peace Out” for Your Heart’s Sake
May 9th, 2010 | by admin |We all learned from an early age that our angry outbursts and tantrums usually got us into more trouble than they actually got us what we wanted, right? But unfortunately, many of us didn’t learn how to deal with our angry feelings in a healthy way. Instead, the alternative to getting in trouble seemed to be for us to just stuff it. Not showing our anger, however, is not the answer because even though those around us may not suffer from our angry outbursts (and that’s a very good thing), and even though we may not put our fist through the wall or throw something (another plus), our angry feelings are still doing damage…to us. Suppressed anger is not only bad for our health, it’s a killer! Anger can strangle blood flow in the heart and lead abnormal heart rhythms that increase the risk of heart disease. In fact, a new study found that heart disease patients who suppressed their anger had nearly triple the risk of having a heart attack or dying over the next 5 to 10 years.
One in five people are stressed out, tense, and angry these days, and with those who have heart disease, the percentage increases to one in three. That’s a lot of suppresses anger waiting to attack the heart! So, should angry people explode with anger rather than suppress it? No, of course not. Feelings of anger need to be dissipated in a healthy, non-destructive way.
If you are someone who “steams quickly” and often, it’s important to learn how to diffuse your angry feelings. When you start to feel angry, learning to literally “take a breather,” through deep, slow, meditative breathing can go a long way to blowing out your short fuse. Or, as in the poem, “If,” you “can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run.” Exercise, especially running has been shown to cool down anger. And, if you find that you can’t get there alone, there are plenty of anger management programs available to help you.
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