Time to Plug Into Your Outlet
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 and is not easy. Aristotle
My outburst caught me completely off guard. After a seemingly trivial episode in which I realized I had forgotten something at home a few minutes after I had headed off to work, I screamed a series of expletives to no one in particular.
“Feel any better?” that little voice inside me asked.
“A little,” I replied sheepishly. “Who was that!?”
“Sounds like you’re pretty angry about something,” the voice replied. “Perhaps it’s time to check under the hood to see where that noise is coming from?”
The following day I was sharing this episode with one of my PeerRxMed buddies, and after we laughed together at the name I had given this episode (it’s not particularly uplifting), he noted that he’s been hearing of a lot more of our colleagues who have been feeling angry – as have I. We both noted this anger feels different than the generalized frustration most have experienced at multiple points in our COVID journey over the last 18 months and agreed that the dynamics around this present surge in cases has likely become the final straw for many.
Most of us who work in healthcare have been led to believe the experience of anger is a very “unprofessional” emotion, and therefore we often deny that we’re even having such an emotion at all. While I certainly agree that the manner in which one expresses their anger can be inappropriate in certain professional settings, the experience of anger itself is quite natural and very understandable under our present circumstances.
Wondering what the professionals recommend for “anger management” these days, I visited the website of our colleagues at Mental Health America (MHA) and was relieved to find that perhaps my “alone in the car” outburst was not so inappropriate after all. Some of their suggestions include consciously pausing and breathing, exercising, journaling, dancing, singing, going to a different room or outside, verbalizing your anger in an appropriate setting (aka “venting”), asking for help, and even screaming (in private). And of course, gaining a better understanding of the cause or causes of the anger for you and managing that circumstance.
So if you’ve experiencing feelings of anger lately (or whatever you call your “anger-like emotions”), please know you’re not alone. It is important to utilize a constructive outlet for the expression of this anger since suppressing it will not make it go away, but rather it will likely come out in untimely or inappropriate ways. Remember that your PeerRxMed partner is standing by to help support you as we try to successfully navigate our ongoing challenges, as I’m confident that you’re not foolish enough to think you can manage this one on your own. After all, no one should care alone …..
For more suggestions and details from Mental Health America, here are some links:
· Dealing with anger and frustration Link
· Healthy ways to release rage: Link