Anger is a completely normal human emotion that we all experience every now and then. However, when it gets out of control it can become destructive. So one must develop ways to keep anger from tipping you over the edge.
Yoga specifically helps regulate the endocrine system and bestows calm.
Exercising regularly helps in managing anger better as it regulates adrenaline and cortisol levels and ups the neurotransmitters in the brain (catecholamines and endorphins), thus taking the edge off your anger by improving our mood.
Meditation also helps people quell anger, so weaving in a 10 minute daily window for some quiet time spent chanting or simply sitting quietly is a good antidote.
Relaxing by breathing deeply (take deep breaths from the diaphragm, not shallow ones from the chest), visualizing a calm scene (like being in a spa, sitting next to an ocean or in the green hills), and consciously replacing negative thoughts with positive statements also helps buff up the anger threshold.
And not many know that right food can play a big role in keeping anger at bay too.
Below are 10 simple strategies you can follow to calm down.
Get a Good Night's Sleep
The best step you can take to stay serene, is to get a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep is associated with severe irritability that tips over into anger soon enough.
Before you curl up at night, drink a cup of calming chamomile or peppermint tea, and wake up feeling calm and better prepared to keep anger at bay.
Crunch Your Coffee Cups
Too many cappuccinos could actually be making you angry.
Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline that leads to a rapid blood sugar rise and then a quick fall.
Multiple cups can put you on a mood roller coaster, with spirits skyrocketing and nose-diving several times in a space of a few hours - a perfect recipe to be on the edge and angry.
Identify Your Allergies
Mood swings are often caused by foods that typically cause allergic reactions in people. So if you notice mood swings after consuming certain foods, you might want to avoid them. Maintain a food diary and make regular notes.
Almonds and Milk to the Rescue
Soothe your nerves with some milk or a handful of almonds. Both foods are rich in calcium, and calcium is great for reducing anxiety and making you feel calm and relaxed.
Calcium helps relax nerves and muscle cells, that is why it is called one of nature’s tranquilizers.
Bananas: The Potassium Powerhouse
Bananas help big time. The vitamin B and Potassium present in bananas help calm you down pronto.
Go the Ayurvedic Way
According to Ayurveda to prevent morphing into Ms (or Mr) Hyde, and keeping your short fuse in check, what you eat may well be pushing your buttons. You need to eat a balanced ‘Satvik’ diet. Hot and spicy foods like pickles, over-spiced food, as well as oily and fatty foods tend to enhance the Rajja Guna in our bodies, too much of which creates anger, fear and anxiety.
This age old doctrine suggests starting the meal with a small portion of dessert or sweets, followed by a very lightly spiced meal and a glass of buttermilk to stay calm.
Zinc: The Wonder Mineral
Zinc helps alleviate the irritability and low moods, particularly those associated with pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). Growing evidence suggests that a deficiency of progesterone underlies PMS - the secretion of this hormone is regulated by zinc.
Stoke up on pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, mangoes and eggs to get your daily dose of this wonder mineral.
Snack on Some Pumpkin Seeds
To prevent mid day meltdowns snacking on pumpkin seeds.Plus they’re naturally very low in sugar, so you won’t have a sugar crash before heading to lunch.
They are packed with magnesium, which helps one relax by regulating blood pressure.
Have Some Grapes or Carrots
Reach for some grapes, or carrots - both are rich in pectin, a soluble fiber that lowers blood cholesterol. When you're angry, your body kicks into fight or flight mode, and your heart rate, adrenaline levels and blood pressure increase.
Pectin reverses the effect anger has on the body, and helps your system return to normal.
Reduce Your Salt Intake
Finally reduce your intake of salt as your salt intake can have a direct impact on your anger levels.
Increased sodium levels in the body are linked to hypertension, which means that if you eat too much salt, it can make you get angry very quickly.
(The author is a nutritionist, weight management consultant and health writer based in Delhi. She is the author of Don't Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People (Jaico) and Ultimate Grandmother Hacks: 50 Kickass Traditional Habits for a Fitter You (Rupa).
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