Dealing with anger is one of those things that we all have to figure out how to cope with. Each of us are in unique situations, but for many of us the solutions for anger have common ground… It’s finding a more positive outlet for the anger. Sadly, most of the time we use negative ones. I’m just as guilty as anyone else is with that.
This guy needed to chill out.
This morning I was driving to work and I was changing lanes because the road goes from two lanes into one. I usually try to do this ahead of time so I don’t end up getting stuck slowing way down when the road merges into one. It can be hard to squeeze your car in at that point. I looked behind me and saw a silver car in the distance slightly approaching, but I had plenty of time to merge.
We were in a 30mph traffic zone.
As I was merging the guy started to speed up. I couldn’t help but notice in my rearview mirror. He ended up coming right on my ass. Yeah. He was that guy. I couldn’t help but notice that he was frustrated. His arms restless, hitting his steering wheel and then resumed with giving me the middle finger. There was a car that was just on my right as well, so he couldn’t pass me. That car was on route to turn just before the lane merged into one.
The guy was angry. I didn’t do anything to him. It’s not like I was “out to get him.” There was nothing personal about what happened. The guy just was upset that both I and the car in front of me were not going 45 in a 30mph zone. Which was merging into a 25mph zone in one lane. The guy was either running late and upset traffic was not going faster or thought I personally wanted to cut him off. Which was not the case. It was honestly wrong place, wrong time for me. I got caught in his anger crossfire.
There were better ways for this guy to deal with his problem, whatever it may have been. We all can learn from “that guy” because sometimes… “that guy” is you or me.
Discovering ways for dealing with anger.
Before talking about ways that you can try to deal with your own anger let’s make a few things clear.
The world is not out to get you. Shit happens. You have to learn to deal with that.
Assholes are dumb and won’t go away. The world is full of them, but don’t let them get on your nerves. Just let it go. They’ll get what they deserve eventually.
You are better than that asshole. Don’t be that guy… at least try to not be that guy.
Ok… so hopefully your feelings are not hurt so far, but I think those points are important to make. The world can be messed up sometimes, but it’s up to us to make it a better place. It can easily start with you and hopefully that will be contagious.
Tips for dealing with your own anger.
- Stop and think. Before you start flipping people off and yelling, just stop and think about what just happened. Is that the best you can do? Anger is not something we can prevent, but it is something we can control. It all starts in our mind. Show that anger who’s boss. Be the better person and exhaust it in a positive way.
- Find new outlets for your anger. For many people it can be slow breathing, maybe exercise, going for a long walk, talking with a friend, writing music, playing video games, building something… and the list goes on. It might be hard to find your best channel, but be open to trying new things. Energy is energy and needs to go somewhere. Anger is negative, so turn it into positive energy. Be productive with it, not counter productive such as making other people angry too.
- Ask a friend for help. Sometimes we need some help. Nothing wrong with that. Talking about your issues is not a weakness, it’s a strength. Be bold and ask for help.
- Learn to be grateful for each day. Starting your day on the wrong side of the bed can ruin it for everyone around you too. Discover a routine that keeps you in good spirits. Write down a list of things you are happy for each day and you will realize how fortunate you really are.
