I was driving angry on the freeway when i came to conclusion that I was going to hurt myself. Not with a knife, gun, or sharp object, but with how I was acting and feeling. I’m talking about the habit of raging while driving. When you can feel the heart pound and fists tightened it’s hard not to started thinking about the physical consequences of actions and choices.
When guys get angry, our heart rate, arterial tension and testosterone production increases, cortisol (the stress hormone) decreases, and the left hemisphere of the brain becomes more stimulated. Because of these physical changes people who can’t control their anger are susceptible to heart conditions, headaches, insomnia, depression, high blood pressure, and strokes.
The question is when will being angry kill you. .
While thinking of the consequences of raging on the freeway I put together 6 steps anyone can use to help them calm down. These tips will help you take 5 minutes so you can collect yourself. Giving you a chance to thinking clearly and make decisions in your best interests and not in the heat of the moment. How many times have we done something angrily just to regret it or say something we don’t mean.
1.) Breathing
Take (3) three Deep breaths by inhaling deeply and fast through your nose filling your lungs then exhale slowly out your mouth while counting in your head 7 seconds.
Deep focused breathing helps defeat the “fight or flight” stress response associated with anger. This give you the perception of being calm and in control.
2.) Put Yourself in Their Shoes
During the summer of 2015 I was driving on the freeway coming home from work. While traveling in traffic a Big Rig wanted to enter my lane. So, being a good samaritan and being in a family of truck drives I slowed down to let the driver in my lane. Once I had 3 car lengths in front of my the car behind me started blaring his horn.
Just remember in situations like this, he’s making himself look like the fool and once he sees the truck changing lanes he’ll feel like a fool. You’re doing the right thing and doing it for a reason. Sometimes the reason you're doing may not be apparent at first. Don’t let something insignificant as someone not paying attention affect you.
3.) Teach Yourself How to Calm Down
In his book “I Know What To Do, So Why Don’t I Do It” The author Nick Hall talks about a stress management technique that helps you control your heart rate by using exercising.
First, you need to know your max heart rate. The easiest way to guess your max heart rate is to take 220 and subtract your age. So, if you’re 30 your max heart rate would be 190 bbm. By bring your heart rate up to it’s max and using cool down exercises to bring it back down to a resting heart rate, you’ll teach your body to cool down faster.
Calming down faster from being excited and heated will help make your anger manageable. Using exercise you’ll teach yourself to become less angry faster.
4.) Eat Something
Don’t underestimate the power of comfort food. To cool off, treat yourself to your favorite fast food or drink.
5.) Help someone
To get your mind off something that makes you angry, help someone that needs help.
6.) Get Some Unconditional Love
If you don’t have kids, borrow some and take them out for ice cream. Feeling the joy kids give when they indulge in random ice cream is the remedy for anything.
Let it go, don’t let an insignificant moment control your life. Get past a comment that would make you say or do thing you’ll regret. Long after the moment passes don’t let the long term physical effects harm your life.