Anger Control At Workplace

Antaru, head of the marketing department at a prestigious company, was a woman of many responsibilities. At work, she faced constant challenges, needing to meet high expectations and drive the team towards success. At home, she balanced her duties as a wife and daughter in a demanding household. Despite her best efforts, she found it increasingly difficult to meet her goals both at work and at home.

Aggression had become a necessary tool in her professional life, driving her to push her team and herself to their limits. However, this aggression began spilling over into her personal life, creating tension and stress. 

One particularly hectic day at the office, the pressure became too much. Overwhelmed by anger, Antaru felt a sharp dizziness and suddenly collapsed. Her colleagues rushed to help her, and though they were supportive, the incident was a deeply embarrassing moment for her.

Following her colleague's advice, Antaru decided to take action. She made an appointment with a psychologist to address her anger issues.

Session with the Psychologist

At the beginning of her session, Antaru found it difficult to open up. She was used to handling everything on her own and wasn’t sure how to express what she was feeling. But after a few moments of hesitation, she decided to trust the process and began to share her struggles.

Psychologist: I know it’s not easy to talk about what’s going on, but I’m here to help. Can you tell me what brought you here today?

Antaru: It’s hard to explain. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately. There’s just so much on my plate, both at work and at home. It feels like I’m constantly juggling demanding tasks, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to keep up.

Psychologist: That sounds incredibly stressful. It must be difficult to manage everything at once.

Antaru: It’s been tough. I’m under so much pressure at work and at home. And what’s worse is that I’ve started to notice changes in myself that I don’t like. I’ve always been able to handle stress, but lately, I’ve been getting angry more often. I’m losing my patience, and I’ve been shouting at people—at work, at home—it’s like I can’t control it anymore.

Psychologist: It sounds like all this pressure is really affecting you, and controlling your anger is getting harder.

Antaru: Yes, exactly. I hate how I’m reacting, but it’s like it just happens, and I can’t stop it. That’s why I’m here. I need help figuring out how to manage all of this because it’s affecting everything—my work, my relationships, even how I feel about myself.

Identifying the Cause

During her first session with the psychologist, Antaru was encouraged to explore the root cause of her anger. The psychologist explained that anger often masks deeper emotions, like fear, loneliness, or frustration.

Psychologist: "Antaru, let's try to identify what's really behind your anger. Sometimes, anger is just the surface emotion. It could be covering up something else, like fear of not meeting expectations or feeling isolated in your struggles."

Antaru: "I think you're right. I do feel a lot of fear—fear of failure, fear of letting people down. And, honestly, I often feel very alone in all this pressure."

By acknowledging these underlying emotions, Antaru began to see that her anger was a symptom of deeper issues that needed attention. Then Psychologist helped her with following techniques to control her Anger.

Breathing Exercise

The psychologist introduced Antaru to meditation as a way to control her emotions, starting with simple deep breathing exercises. The psychologist suggested that when Antaru feels anger rising, she should close her eyes, take deep breaths, and count slowly to calm herself before reacting. Although Antaru had never tried meditation before, she was open to giving it a try. Over the next few weeks, she practiced daily, finding that just a few moments of deep breathing helped her face stressful situations with a much calmer mindset.

Physical Activity

If Antaru felt angry while at the office, the psychologist suggested she could take a brisk walk around the building or step outside for some fresh air. Even a short walk during a break could help her release tension, clear her mind, and return to work feeling calmer and more focused. By incorporating these small bursts of physical activity into her day, Antaru found it easier to manage her emotions, even in the middle of a busy workday.

Letting It Out

Antaru learned that it's important to express her anger in a healthy way, rather than keeping it bottled up. The psychologist explained that holding in anger can lead to sudden, damaging outbursts. Instead, she was encouraged to find ways to let it out, like talking to someone, writing in a journal, or simply acknowledging her feelings. Antaru realized that trying to keep her emotions in check wasn’t helping, so she decided to be more open about how she was feeling. This approach allowed her to release tension before it could build up too much. 

As the psychologist explained, anger doesn’t just affect emotions—it also has a significant impact on physical health. When a person experiences anger, the body triggers a stress response: the heart starts beating faster, blood pressure rises, and muscles tense up. These reactions can lead to shallow breathing and even a tightness in the chest. If this stress response happens too frequently, it can lead to serious health problems like heart issues or chronic headaches.

This insight can be surprising, highlighting that managing anger isn’t just about improving emotional well-being—it’s also essential for maintaining overall health. Understanding this connection can motivate individuals to take their anger management seriously, knowing that their physical well-being depends on it.