Can Mindfulness Meditation Help with My Anger Issues?

By Krishna Heffernan

Mindfulness meditation is a new age anger management, relaxation, anti-stress, self-awareness approach that helps to release your tension, increase focus, and manage your anger issues. This type of meditation also improves your awareness and encourages you to stay in the “present” and not dwell on the past. Mindfulness meditation helps you relax your mind and focus on your breathing.

When you practice this type of meditation, you are aware of what is happening around you, and you have control of your emotions. This approach is especially beneficial if you are highly stressed or have ongoing anger issues. Mindfulness meditation teaches you how to clear you mind, loosen your muscles, and ultimately let go of your anger. In essence, it reconnects your mind to your body in a harmonious way.

During mindfulness meditation, your teacher encourages you to take a deeper look at yourself (your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, behaviors, issues and the people you have contact with on a regular basis). Moreover, your teacher provides you with the tools that you need to conquer your anger issues and find peace. In addition, he/she teaches you how to delve deep within yourself for the root of your anger issues, instead of blaming your anger on superficial causes.

Once you have a good grasp on the cause of your anger issues, then you are able to accurately evaluate the situation, respond to the situation in a healthier way, effectively manage your anger, and calmly resolve your issues. When you have gained a full understanding of how your anger issues are affecting your self-esteem, focus, relationships, and quality of life, you can manage your anger issues and find true peace and happiness. Mindfulness meditation not only teaches you how to control your emotions and anger, it also offers a wide range of psychological and physical health benefits.

Reduces Stress and Improves Energy

If you have a chronic illness and/or a disability (arthritis, lupus, joint and muscle disorders, etc.), mindfulness meditation can help you better cope with the effects of your condition. When you suffer from a chronic and/or painful medical condition, it can evoke feelings of anger, frustration and/or irritability. Constant feelings of anger can lead to ongoing anger issues. Mindfulness meditation helps you focus on more pleasant things, relaxes your muscles, eases your tension, decreases your body’s production of the stress hormone cortisol, reduce your fatigue, and removes harmful oxidative stress from your body. When you are relaxed and stress-free, you are more tolerant and better able to work through your anger issues in a calm and positive manner.

According to a 2011 study published in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Disease, although mindfulness meditation has not shown effectiveness in treating rheumatoid arthritis, it has shown success at boosting energy and lowering stress in those with the disease.

Protects You from Mental Illnesses

A variety of mental illnesses can cause mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and anger. According to the University of Oregon, mindfulness meditation can alter your brain chemistry and lower your risk of developing an anger-related mental illness. This meditation approach not only improves your brain’s messaging system, it also encourages your body to form a protective shield on the parts of the brain that control emotions, moods, and behaviors. Mindfulness meditation clears your mind and helps you relax, which is beneficial for working through your issues and managing your anger issues.

Brings Out Your Positive Qualities

Anger, frustration and/or irritability can cause you to act out of character. For instance, when you are always angry or on the verge of exploding, it can cause other people to avoid you. Your friends, family members, co-workers and/or acquaintances may view you as bitter and/or hostile. According to the journal Psychological Science, mindfulness meditation centers you so that you can calm down, and get a hold of your emotions. It also improves the way you interact with others by bringing out your thoughtful, caring, and compassionate side.

Eases Your Loneliness

Research suggests that loneliness can cause or aggravate anger issues, especially if you are elderly. According to the University of California, mindfulness meditation encourages mental and emotional well-being, especially in older individuals. In addition, it reduces anger that stems from social isolation by increasing your “feel good” sensations. Furthermore, this type of meditation reduces anger episodes by improving your health, removing stress from your body, and helping you control your emotions.

Lowers Your Risk of Depression

Depression can cause a variety of complex and conflicting emotions such as anger, rage, irritability, and/or anxiety. Anger issues are especially prevalent in pregnant women due to their increasing pregnancy hormones. According to the University of Michigan, approximately 1 in 5 pregnant women experience depression. Although research on the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on the prevention of depression is limited at this time, initial studies appear positive. Results suggest that this approach to meditation lead to increased self-esteem, balanced moods, a calming sensation, and improved focus.

Mindfulness Meditation can clear your mind, process the situation with accuracy and respond in a healthy, calm, and positive manner. This approach is also beneficial for teenagers, who are experiencing problems at home that provoke anger issues (such as bullying, altercations with other students, and problems with authority figures). According to the University of Leuven, mindfulness meditation can reduce anxiety, increase self-awareness and self-esteem, and therefore reduce anger and depression in adolescents.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Krishna_Heffernan/1547645

Need help learning mindfulness meditation? Check out Mindfulness Meditation Made Simple: Your Guide to Finding True Inner peace (paperback).

If you enjoyed this article, sign up below for the Blooming Lotus Newsletter and we’ll notify you when the next article is released: