Just like happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, and surprise, anger is just another emotion. It is normal to get angry every now and then and there is nothing wrong in it.
In fact, anger is a healthy emotion if it is under your control. It is a way of conveying something that you do not wish to happen or don’t want to happen.
A report by Psychology and Aging suggests that in a survey conducted on 200 participants ages 59 to 93, there is a significant link that’s been established between anger and deteriorating health.
Anger is bad only when it is exploding and the person could not contain it himself anymore. This type of explosion not only consumes your social image but also puts your mental and physical health in jeopardy.
The popular belief is that it is seniors who become grumpier as they advance in age. On the contrary, the British Association of Anger Management says in one of its articles that it is the younger generation who get angry frequently.
Be it seniors and youngsters, it is important to draw your imaginary boundaries of safe anger and never cross them. Because, the impact of a 5-minute sheer anger can disturb the total mechanism of your body for days.
Effects of Anger on Physical Health
- Prolonged periods of anger can increase cardiovascular issues
- Can cause hypertension and high blood pressure
- Impacts the immunity and also can cause diabetes
Effects on Mental Health
- Anger is the reason behind most of the mental health issues
- It disrupts your clarity and focus
- Can cause stress and anxiety
Are You In an Anger Incubator? Here is a Self-Check
Are you living in an anger incubator? A self-check can checkmate most of your physical and mental health issues. So, how about a reality check?
- Does your heartbeat increase when you get angry?
- Will you clench your fists unknowingly?
- Will your breathing increase and start sweating?
- Does your voice tremble?
- Do you feel the visible signs of tension throughout your body?
- Do you feel knots in your stomach?
If the answer is ‘yes’ for at least 2 times, you might want to take another look at your ‘anger’ situation. Because, you might have anger issues and that’s not very good.
Ways to Deal with Anger Issues in Elderly
The first step to deal with anger issues starts with the thoughts. A clear reflection on your thought process as to which thoughts are leading anger can help you prevent most recurrences of anger-induced situations.
- Stressors: 67% of people with anger issues say that their inability to manage stress is causing the anger issues.
- Prejudice: Preconceived opinions on various things in life can lead to frustration and anger. Observe if you are using you always do this, she is always like that etc.,
- Obsession: Things can happen a certain way based on the situation. If you have prefixed mind on this should happen only this way, be ready to be disappointed and, of course, angrily.
- Compulsions: Compulsive behavior and thoughts can replace your mind with negative thoughts. Picking up moments of the past and overlooking the positive moments will become a daily routine. This is mostly observed between couples.
- Blame Game: Blaming is a negative reaction and shows clear lack of compassion. Refrain from blaming your spouse or partner for anything and everything that went wrong.
Stress and Anger Management in Seniors
One, simply, cannot replace anger and be always peaceful. Getting angry is a part of life. Anger becomes an issue only when you do not know how to handle it. Well, here are a few tips that work great if you practice.
- Make the issue your priority, not the person: Always remember that the relationship and the person are important, not your anger. Winning an argument strengthens your anger but at the cost of the relationship.
- Forgive and forget: Forgiving takes a lot of character and forgetting is a virtue sometimes. Practice these two great qualities of life to live in abundance of love and joy.
- Focus on positive aspects of life: Being mindful of your actions and finding your own stress relieving practices will add more positivity to your everyday life.
- Ease your stress: Involve in stress relieving activities like meditation and pranayama. One reason why assisted living facilities and senior living homes make meditation as part of their residents’ daily life.
Conclusion:
Exercises and yoga for seniors can lower your impulsive behavior while enhancing the clarity part in your thoughts.
It is not easy to curb your anger in a single step. It takes consistent practice and a lot of character amendments. Being in the moment, not getting carried away by a situation, and being mindful of the consequences before uttering a word always help you manage your anger. And, these all will go a long way!
