OPINION: Can Anger Be Good for You?

Anger is universal. It's something everyone feels and something everyone can relate to. It's a tricky emotion to deal with because it can make us feel powerful. It's a natural part of us as humans to feel angry about anything at all. Even things you may think are stupid or unnecessary to be angry about.

A lot of times, anger depends on the person’s mood, and keep in mind that a person's mood can change all the time, even when you are an adult or teen.

Now, take some time to reflect on a few things that make you angry. Are they really necessary to be thinking or caring about? Can you do anything about it? Can that factor be controlled? If it can’t be controlled, why waste time stressing over it?

Some common things that trigger anger are the amount of schoolwork or office work needed to be done, pressure from other people like parents or friends, personal problems that you are dealing with, like an issue or argument you’ve had with someone, or being treated unfairly by another. So many things can trigger anger, and it is completely okay to be angry. You have the right to be angry.

People express anger in various ways. Some examples of physical reactions of anger are heart-pounding, breathing quicker, stomach-churning, tense muscles, tight chest, sweat, and quivering. Some people even express their anger by screaming, biting their nails, breaking something, punching, or physical violence.

Now, you may be thinking about how anger can be beneficial when it can inflict so many harmful things. However, just as your fear alerts you to danger, your anger alerts you to injustice. Anger energizes you to confront that injustice. There are several commonly used phrases to treat anger “let it go” or “calm down”. I like to think of anger as a motivator. The same way thirst motivates you to drink water, hunger drives you to eat, and so on. Anger makes you aware of the actual situation, but if you let anger take control of your brain and body, it may not act as a motivator, rather a destroyer.

Being self-aware of what exactly is wrong is key to taking control of your emotions. Keeping your anger and pain inside for too long will make you feel weak and miserable, and you may even burst out at some point because of the excessive pressure. Trying to ignore those feelings will make it even worse, so just let it out!

Something I do to “let it out” that helps a lot when I'm feeling angry or anything negative is writing it down in my diary. I ask myself what really happened and how I can fix that factor. I also listen to some of my favorite songs to make me feel better. And if that's hard for you, talk to someone you trust or who understands you, like a parent or close friend.

After you let your feelings out, think of a solution to the problem you have that caused you to be angry in the first place. Think of the consequences of your decisions before you do something you regret. So be careful, because sometimes, you can get crazy when you are very angry about something.

Everyone gets angry from time to time, but just know that people are here for you. Talk to someone or yourself. Take some time to calm down, and just breathe. Everything will be fine in the end. And remember that anger is a natural factor of life and can be very important, too. It teaches and motivates you to solve and change problems which is very necessary in such a large and scary world. You’ve got this!

Written By Lakshmi Potturu

Editor: Rushita Paladugu