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The 5 Best Ways to Deal With Anger

Did you know angry people are three times more likely than calmer ones to have a heart attack? Protect your health with these five tips on how to keep your cool.

By Vanessa Farquharson from Reader's Digest Canada | July 2012
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First: What's going on in the angry brain?

When we get mad, our brain's more rational prefrontal lobes shut down, and its reflexive back areas take over. Hormonal and cardiovascular responses kick in. We pump out cholesterol and a group of chemicals called catecholamines, which encourage fatty deposits to pile up in the heart and carotid arteries. It’s no surprise, then, that angry people are three times more likely to have a heart attack than those less prone to fury. The fight-or-flight response can prompt your nervous system to cut blood flow to your stomach and divert it to your muscles, impacting digestion secretions. Stress can also increase stomach acids. And anger causes a surge in the stress hormone cortisol, which bumps up oil production and leads to acne and other skin problems. During prolonged and frequent eruptions of rage, parts of the nervous system become highly activated, which can affect our immune systems over time. So, how can we avoid all this?

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1. Retrain your brain.

Cognitive restructuring, or “thought stopping,” involves challenging your take on anger-inducing scenarios and reevaluating irrational beliefs.

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2. Book an appointment.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you learn to spot anger triggers and to control reactions.

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3. Breathe deep.

Bliss out with breathing exercises—they help slow your heart rate and keep your mind focused on something other than the source of your stress.

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4. Sweat it out.

Exercise provides an outlet for aggression and stimulates feel-good brain chemicals.

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5. Medicate.

If anger is a symptom of a bigger problem such as depression, prescription drugs could be a solution. Check with your doctor.

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Your Comments

  • http://www.careNfashion.com/ Adil

    Good. The best way I think is to cool down yourself by diverting your mind to something else.

  • http://youthkichoice.com/ Youth

    The best way is to count from 1 to 10 :D

  • http://www.facebook.com/tomoko.miyajima1 Tomoko Miyajima

    Anger is a triger of depression? I did not know that….