Latest news with #Tafrate
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Is your temper tampering with your health? The hidden costs of anger you can't ignore
The Science Behind Your Anger Why Do Some People Get Angry More Often? Managing Your Anger for Better Health iStock Changing your mindset about frustrating people or situations can also lessen anger's hold. (Representational image: iStock) You Might Also Like: Why you keep rewatching 'Friends', and what It really says about your mental health? We all get angry — it's a natural part of being human. But what happens when that frustration starts to take over your life? Dr. Raymond Chip Tafrate, a clinical psychologist and co-author of Anger Management for Everyone, reminds us that while anger can be a useful signal that something needs to change, constant or intense anger can seriously harm both your mind and body. Could your quick temper be more than just a personality trait — could it be sabotaging your health?According to a report from USA Today, anger isn't always the villain. It can motivate action, spark difficult conversations, or fuel personal change. For example, getting upset about a health issue or social injustice can push you toward positive steps. But Tafrate warns that anger becomes problematic when it's frequent, overwhelming, or lingers too long. The key difference lies in how you express it: confronting an issue calmly versus reacting impulsively in the heat of the is rooted deep in human evolution — a response designed to help ancestors survive threats. Today, the triggers are less about immediate danger and more about perceived unfairness, personal slights, or daily stressors. Ethan Kross, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan , explains that anger often arises when our sense of what's right is violated, prompting a desire to fix the you find yourself feeling angry all the time, you're not alone — and there are many reasons why. Some people face more daily frustrations or injustices, whether in their work, family life, or through constant exposure to distressing news and social media. Others grew up in environments where anger was the default reaction or are genetically wired with a more reactive nervous system. External factors like poor sleep, illness, substance use, or stress can also amplify anger's anger is more than a social problem — it's a health hazard. Chronic anger floods your body with stress hormones, increasing the risk of heart disease, weakened immunity, and mental health struggles. But managing anger is possible, and crucial. Kross suggests simple yet effective strategies: step away from the trigger, take deep breaths, count backward, or engage in calming activities like listening to music or your mindset about frustrating people or situations can also lessen anger's hold. When possible, avoid known triggers—whether that's a toxic coworker or doomscrolling through negative news. Prioritizing self-care by sleeping well, eating right, and limiting alcohol or caffeine can further stabilize your emotional may feel like a fleeting emotion, but when it becomes a constant companion, it's a warning sign your body and mind are under strain. Recognizing anger's role and learning to control it can protect your health and improve your relationships. So next time you feel that familiar heat rising, ask yourself: Is your temper tampering with your health — and what can you do to take back control?
USA Today
4 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
You're not alone if you're frequently angry. But you should try and stop, for your health.
You're not alone if you're frequently angry. But you should try and stop, for your health. Show Caption Hide Caption Dating expert reveals signs a relationship is toxic Dr. Ramani explains how certain behaviors and conversations can indicate that your relationship is becoming toxic. Though a lot of us think of anger as a limiting or mostly negative emotion, there are times it can be useful. "Anger can be helpful when it signals that something isn't right or needs to change," says Raymond Chip Tafrate, a clinical psychologist and professor at Central Connecticut State University and the co-author of "Anger Management for Everyone: 10 Proven Strategies to Help You Control Anger and Live a Happier Life." Anger can reveal a problem that needs to be solved, motivate you to make a needed change or push you to have a tough conversation. Think becoming mad at a health condition like obesity and deciding to tackle it, participating in a public protest to affect social change or getting the courage to approach a friend or colleague to insist their treatment of you or others improve. At the same time, "anger can become a problem if it happens too often, is too intense or lasts too long," says Tafrate. And there's a big difference between anger helping motivate you to have a hard conversation in the first place and approaching someone in a state of anger instead of with measured words or behaviors. So what might it mean if you feel angry all the time and how can you go about managing the emotion to lead to more productive outcomes? What is anger? Anger is a common and often intense emotion that is characterized by feelings of frustration, friction, annoyance or conflict with another person, event or situation. It's an emotion that Tafrate says evolved as part of the body's fight -or-flight response to help our ancient ancestors survive a challenge or threatening situation. Today, though, "most of the things that make us angry aren't life-threatening situations," he says. Instead, we get upset about injustices in the world, poor treatment toward ourselves or others, the stressors of everyday life or concerns over one's social, physical or financial standing. Another perspective is that "anger is an emotion we experience when our view of what is right versus wrong has been violated and there's an opportunity for us to rectify the situation," offers Ethan Kross, a professor of psychology and the director of the self-control and emotion laboratory at University of Michigan. What is cortisol? All about the 'stress hormone' and what it does for the body Why am I always angry? What causes anger? It's because of this that some of the people who feel angry often are the ones more focused on these perceived violations or injustices – sometimes because they are surrounded by more of them in their day-to-day life and sometimes because they learn of them in the news or on social media. Other times, people commonly experience anger because they are in a profession or a family where they frequently feel attacked, treated unfairly or powerless. One might also experience anger more often because it was modeled as a go-to response in their childhood home or other environment. Anger can also be amplified by people or groups that use the emotion as a tool to energize or motivate others. "And various organizations and cultures have different standards for when and how it is acceptable or unacceptable to express anger," explains Heather Lench, professor of psychological and brain sciences at Texas A&M University – so some people may simply be more comfortable with confrontation or expressing anger than other people. Genetics may also play a role. Many people are born with a more reactive nervous system that can make them more prone to respond negatively to perceived threats, says Tafrate. Genes can also affect how we manage our emotional responses more generally, says Kross. Lack of sleep, a sickness or disease, drugs or alcohol, mental illness, and stress related to work, finances and relationships can also make some people more frequently prone to feeling anger or more likely to react to a situation angrily. Noted: What to know about cortisol, the hormone TikTokers say you need to balance How to manage anger issues No matter what's causing you to feel angry, learning to control and manage it can help you avoid hurting yourself and others and keep you out of trouble and embarrassing situations. Shouting, name-calling or using violence against another person or property, for instance, are all surefire ways to make an already intense situation even worse. It's also not good for your body to too often experience the flood of stress hormones associated with anger. While there are "no one-size-fits-all solutions when it comes to managing anger," says Kross, "there are lots of tools you can use." For instance, learning to wait until emotions calm down or distancing yourself from the source of frustration until you are ready to approach them thoughtfully is a great way to avoid problems. "Anger typically subsides with the passing of time," says Kross, so it can be helpful to do something else until it does. Running your hands under cold water, counting backwards from 10, taking deep breaths, going for a run, repeating an uplifting mantra, stepping outside, distracting yourself with an engaging task, venting to a friend or listening to calming music are all proven options. Another option to feel less angry is to change your mindset toward a person or situation. It can also be helpful, when possible, to avoid the person or situations that frequently cause you to feel angry, whether that's a friend or colleague who rubs you the wrong way, news stories or doomscrolling on social media. And because anger is more likely to arise when you're overwhelmed, offers Tafrate, "prioritize self-care by getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly and avoiding excessive substances like alcohol or caffeine."
