Traditional gender roles and societal expectations often encourage men to suppress their more vulnerable emotions like hurt or sadness and, instead, express anger and irritability. It’s important to recognize that these societal expectations can have negative consequences for men’s mental and emotional well-being. Encouraging men to openly express their feelings, seek support, and practice healthy coping mechanisms is crucial for promoting emotional health and reducing the reliance on anger as the default emotional response. Breaking down these gender norms and challenging harmful stereotypes can lead to healthier and more fulfilling lives for everyone.
Anger is a natural human emotion that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. It can be triggered by various factors such as frustration, stress, disappointment, or feeling threatened. While anger is normal, it can become problematic when it is not managed effectively, uncontrolled anger can lead to destructive behaviour, damage relationships and negative consequences in various aspects of life.
Uncontrolled anger could have detrimental effects on one’s physical and mental health, some of the physiological manifestations of stress response include an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, muscle tension, cognitive impairment, and impulsive behaviours.
It should be noted that anger is a natural emotion and cannot be eliminated completely, managing anger effectively is crucial for maintaining healthy relationships and personal well-being. Developing anger management strategies takes time and practice, it also requires to be patient with yourself as you work to improve your response to anger.
Here are some strategies for anger management:
Identifying and paying attention to physical sensations that accompany your anger that can be early signs that trigger is affecting you. Engaging in physical activities and relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and brisk walking are effective ways to decompress by releasing build-up energy and frustration.
Utilizing effective communication can resolve conflict and prevent anger escalation, these skills include active listening to the other person’s perspective and acknowledging their point of view, instead of blaming and accusing the other person use the “I statement” to express your concerns. There is a fine line between being assertive and being aggressive. It is important to note that assertiveness is about finding a balance between being passive and being aggressive. It allows you to stand up for yourself and express your needs and opinions while respecting the rights and feelings of others. Developing assertiveness skills help to navigate conflicts and challenging conversation more effectively while maintaining healthier relationships.
Take a timeout and change the environment when feeling overwhelmed by stepping away from the situation to cool down and prevent impulsive reactions, use this time to reflect and formulate your response also weighing the pros and cons to make more rational and informed choices about responding to the situation.
Shifting our perspective on the challenges we encounter and acknowledging our emotions without allowing them to overpower us can disrupt the connection between what triggers us and our subsequent emotional outbursts.