The importance of Anger

The last week has seen a fair bit of turmoil happen in my life, and it has seen me go through a bit of an emotional roller-coaster.

As I was going through each of the emotions sitting with them, and then working through them as they arose, I had a though about how feeling into your anger is so important and at times a very necessary tool to help aid you through some of life changes.

Anger much like sadness and sorrow is seen as a negative emotion.  Many people treat the emotion of anger with a fair bit of disrespect, perhaps because they have linked it to its cousin aggression.  Anger can be uncomfortable, frightening, destructive and uncontrollable.

However anger is an essential emotion and beneficial in a few circumstances.

Here are some of the ways in which anger is a important emotion.

Anger promotes survival.

Our fight response is tied in with anger, it is what helps us to defend ourselves from danger and attack.  Anger is embedded into our most basic and animalistic natures, it is what is needed for our fight to live and for our protection.  Anger makes us extra vigilant and sharpens our focus.

Anger helps to insert our boundaries

Anger comes from a place deep inside of us wanting control.  It gives us a sense of control when we are feeling helpless, and gives us the strength to protect what is ours.  When we are pushed to far, anger when used correctly, will push back on those people helping you to reinsert your boundaries.

Anger helps to motivate.

When anger is triggered is will eliminate whatever is preventing us from reaching our desires and goals.  It energises us into action and pushes us to achieving what we have set out to achieve.

Anger can help to reveal our deeper selves.

Anger can be very volcanic and destructive in its eruption, and much like the molten lava that erupts from deep within the earths crust, up through the volcano into the sky, so to can anger push up to the surface our suppressed emotions.  Thus uncovering our hidden fears.  Anger provides the insights into ourselves and the layer of deeper issues that lay hidden.

Anger leads to calmness.

As anger erupts from the body, discharging the tension and stress in the muscles and body, releasing it from every aspect of your body, bringing about a sense of calm afterwards.

Anger is integral to our flight and fight response and our necessary survival.  It  is what can motivate us to reach our goals, however the key to anger is being able to use it appropriately in the given situation, and not to stay in it to long as this can lead to far greater danger to yourself and those around you, turning destructive.

Anger is a primal emotion much like the raging bush-fire, and as Aristotle said "Anybody can become angry, that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way, that is not within everybody's power, that is not easy" Be aware when angry to use it wisely to uncover what you need but remember not to stay there to long.