It is no secret that men and women express their anger in different ways. While anger can be troubling, there are also ways that you can manage it in order to improve your well-being. Before we get to those methods, let’s take a look at the ways that the expression of anger may be different between men and women.
How Do Men Express Anger?
Anger is an important human emotion, but if it gets out of hand it can cause problems with your relationships, career, family, and more. The expression of the anger is important as is the way that you cope with the negative emotions.
If you find that your anger is impacting your well-being and your ability to function normally, try checking out BetterHelp. They will connect you with a counselor who is qualified to help you with your specific problems and unhealthy thinking patterns.
To know how to control your anger, it may be beneficial to know what makes male anger different from the anger that women experience. Sure, either gender can have any type of angry outburst, but there are some things that men do differently than women in general.
Women often strive to be the peacemaker and to not cause more conflict unless that really have to. They seek approval and affection. This can cause them to express their anger as passive aggressiveness or even cause women to hold it inside.
In addition, women may be more likely to be frowned upon when showing their anger or aggressiveness. Society may shame women for being unladylike or unattractive for showing their normal emotions characterized by anger.
Anger for men is often shown in a direct, and sometimes hostile way. It can manifest itself as aggression or dominance. While these can be normal ways of expressing negative emotions, they can also get out of hand and cause some serious problems.
Before we look at ways that you can manage your anger, let’s look at potential causes.
What Causes Unhealthy Anger in Men?
While normal anger can be felt with any experience or situation that you feel if unfair or harmful, anger problems also have other causes. Things like a hostile environment can impact anger levels and make it hard to manage them.
High stress levels can also contribute to anger issues as well. Stress can cause us to be irritable and easily agitated, which can cause an unhealthy anger outburst and make it difficult to deal with our anger in a good way.
In addition, there are some underlying conditions that can cause anger issues in men. Mental illnesses like bipolar disorder and depression can lead to anger and rage. Alcohol use and abuse can also make people more irritable and more likely to have an outburst of extreme anger.
Positive Expression of Anger
While anger is a natural emotion, it is crucial that you express yourself in a positive, healthy way. You can still be respectful while being assertive and expressing your concerns or dissatisfaction.
Try to channel that negative energy for a positive cause. You can workout to expend your excess energy or try to express yourself in an artistic way. Even writing songs or in a journal can be a great way to privately express yourself and also allows you to examine your thoughts and feelings. You can also work on your communication skills in order to stay assertive without offending anyone or becoming aggressive.
Examine Your Anger
Looking at your anger habits can help a lot. You can identify triggers and see what you can do to possibly respond to them in a healthier way. Keeping track of the things that make you angry can help you examine whether the anger is ever justified.
This will also help you prepare for situations that may cause you to see red and avoid unnecessary triggers. If you find that your triggers are daily occurrences, then you can work towards healthier experiences or make changes to grow as an individual.
Take Some Time
A lot of time our angry outbursts happen before we adequately assess the situation and examine our feelings. Taking just a few minutes away from the upsetting situation can offer a lot of perspective.
You may feel that it is awkward to pull yourself out of a situation in order to avoid blowing up, but you will likely feel more embarrassed and ashamed if you do take your anger out on others. When you do get away from the situation, then just let the people know that you are working towards healthier habits and behaviors. Then, when you feel calm, reenter the situation and address the issue with a new outlook.
Exercise
Exercise is great for mood and overall mental health. Just doing this allows you to release that angry energy. In addition, it can balance out your emotions and can reduce stress, tension, and other underlying contributors to anger.
Exercise can also help you improve your sleeping habits. Sleep is important and quality rest can help you formulate healthier thoughts about situations that seem frustrating or irritating.
Learn to Relax
Relaxation exercises can help you reduce anger in the moment and as a long-term strategy. Breathing exercises can help you focus on the negative thoughts and relaxes both the body and the mind. If you take a few moments to use these types of relaxing strategies when you experience an upsetting situation, then you also have the time to gain a little perspective.
It may take practice for this type of thing to be effective, but if you stick with it, it could be highly beneficial. Find a way that works for you and stick with it! You may even find that listening to music or changing your atmosphere also helps.
Conclusion
Anger can negatively impact your life, but it does not have to be that way. Sure, it may take some effort and awareness, but you can find ways that work to control your emotions and actions. If you find that you are still having trouble, you can find a therapist who can help you develop healthier thoughts and behaviors to respond to upsetting situations.
