My years of work with BreakOut students convinces me that most anger is belief-driven, not the natural, healthy fight or flight response that maximizes our chances to survive. Ironic, isn't it, that the same emotion can protect us or destroy us?
When someone (and everyone around him/her) suffers from chronic anger, they usually operate from self-defeating beliefs such as:
- If I weren't angry, I wouldn't stand up for myself
- IT makes me angry; outside forces cause my anger
- Anybody would be mad about this... (fill in the blank)
- It's a knee-jerk reaction beyond my control
Efforts to override belief-driven anger do not work very well. You have to find the beliefs that fuel it. Then you can drain the tank by removing them.
Think of all of the people taking drugs to prevent heart attacks and strokes, while risking heart attacks and strokes every day by exploding (blood vessels literally) in anger.
Two resources to break out from anger:
"Emotional Options: A Handbook for Happiness" explains how to find the beliefs that fuel anger (and other unwelcome emotions) and how to drain the tank by disproving them. These beliefs are unique. Each of us has to find our own. Otherwise knowing it's bad for your health may only compound the problem.
Emotional Options: http://mandyevans.com/archives/emotional-options/
"How to Be Happy: Exercise Your Emotional Options" On Thursday, March 27th at 2:00PM PDT, I will discuss some ideas to help you begin to exercise your emotional options. Check out my free 10 Big Ideas + join us live here: http://bit.ly/1fLE5GP .
This live streaming video class will cover lots of ways to breakout from limiting beliefs that keep us stuck in painful, unhealthy emotions.
Cheering you on to happiness and health!
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