Anger is a TOOL: Learn the 4 types that are actually healthy for you

People usually say that anger is a useless emotion. However, it’s not healthy to suppress your emotions. Anger is not the problem. In fact, you can even use your anger as a tool.

Using anger to your advantage

Anger itself isn’t problematic. It’s how you channel your anger that can make or break a situation. Knowing how to respond to your anger can help turn it into a healthy emotion. It’s important to know how to utilize anger. In the right hands, anger is a tool that can make you more courageous. If you don’t manage your anger properly, it can wreak havoc in your life.

Remember, it’s not healthy to repress anger. Doing this only tends to magnify your anger. Instead of repressing your feelings, embrace your anger in the moment.

Angry people are usually portrayed as aggressive, but this isn’t always true. Choose nonviolent ways in channeling your anger, like talking to a friend or writing in a journal, and start thinking of ways to use this anger and make changes that can benefit you and the people around you.

After you’ve accepted your anger, consider how you can use your emotions for good. Use these four types of anger to do something positive.

1. Compassionate anger — Instead of being angry at other people and wanting revenge, be angry for other people who are suffering. Use compassionate anger to demand justice and a better system that works for everyone. When you feel compassionate anger, you will learn how everything is connected, and that it’s all right to feel anger when you witness injustice. To channel compassionate anger, think of ways that you can use it to help others instead of using it to punish your enemies. Opt for a peaceful and defensive act towards justice instead of violence. By using your compassionate anger to help other, you are “transforming fire into fuel.” Doing this can also help you be courageous as you act for the greater good. (Related: Anger is an Important tool if we learn how to use it.)
2. Mindful anger — Anger doesn’t always have to be uncontrolled and destructive. When you are mindful of your anger, you will have a chance to meditate. By doing this you can understand what causes it, and you can use this anger to have a moment of productive mindfulness. Use mindful anger to become emotionally resilient. With mindful anger, you can even have a higher EQ. Use it to heal yourself so you can have a brighter future. This kind of anger works best when it is used to gain a deeper understanding of the cause of your anger and what you can do to improve the situation.
3. Moral anger — When we are facing injustice, we may feel moral anger. This often stems from the desire to put a stop to unfair treatment of any kind. We can use this anger from the heart to stop immoral acts with (nonviolent) courageous resistance.
4. Vulnerable anger — When you’re angry and you act like you’re invulnerable, you’re only reacting to a situation. Closing yourself off in a moment of anger often means you also reduced the chance that the situation can be solved in a peaceful manner. This kind of anger is unhealthy and it involves superficial emotions. Vulnerable anger is also linked to “a narrow-minded, codependent mindset.” Meanwhile, vulnerable anger is authentic. It can be used to make a genuine change, and it is associated with “a broad-minded, interdependent mindset.” There’s no shame in being vulnerable in your anger because it can give you the courage to take action.

Anger, while volatile, can be a powerful tool. Like craftsmen who practice their trade using dangerous tools, you will need to practice using your anger to do good things instead. Instead of trying not to feel angry, try to understand the emotion and use it to feel compassionate, mindful, moral, and vulnerable anger that can change the world.

You can read more articles about the healthy kind of anger and mental health at Mind.news.

Sources include:

WakingTimes.com

TinyBuddha.com