As the temperature starts to rise, so can our tempers. Keeping calm never goes out of season so read on for our mindful tips on how not to lose your cool.
Every year, South Asian television generates millions of dollars by captivating viewers across the globe (in 2016, television subscriptions alone generated 387 billion rupees in India). Why is television so popular? Intricate plot-lines with dramatic, background music leave audiences eagerly anticipating the next explosive scene. While rage and revenge make entertaining television, in reality, they don’t make a positive life so save the drama for the soap operas by checking out our tips on anger management:
- Write a Keep Calm & Carry-on list: Create a list of 3-5 simple actions that help calm you down (for example, drinking a cup of chai, talking a walk, etc.). Keep the list somewhere private but visible. Going forward when you start to get agitated, think of your list and action something. The key is to be aware of what calms you down and catch your agitation before it turns into anger.
- Remain hydrated: When we feel mental stress, our bodies can naturally react with an increase in heart rate, sweat and/or an overall feeling of being over heated. Research shows that headaches can be a cause of dehydration (to clarify, dehydration is due to a lack of water, not whiskey). It’s easier to get agitated when we’re in an uncomfortable, physical state so always keep water within arms reach and drink it throughout the day.
- Retire the idea of revenge: Indian activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Mahatma Gandhi said it best when he explained why an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind. When we feel someone has hurt us, we get angry and may react back as a defence mechanism. This can create a negative cycle: we get hurt, we retaliate in anger, they get angrier and hurt us even more and it goes on and on. Engaging in revenge can consume our thoughts and time. Before seeking revenge, we need to focus on all the love around us; it can help us realize our time is better spent on something (or someone) positive.
- Review your relationships: The sad thing is not everyone in our life is good for our mental well-being. The positive thing is that we chose who is in our life. Is there a friend that constantly brings drama into your world? Are you dating someone with a short-fuse? Review your relationships and be brave to walk away (peacefully) from anyone who causes you more pain than peace. Family relationships can be more difficult; for example perhaps you have a sibling that constantly gets you angry. In those situations remember you can’t chose your sibling but you can choose how you react to them. Once we accept that we control our reactions, we can view family feuds as an opportunity to practice our keep calm list and work on keeping our cool.
Main Image Photo Credit: Rebel Circus
Rachna Sethi
Author
Rachna (@thesassyspiritual) is a graduate of the Applied Mindfulness Meditation program from the University of Toronto, a certified Educator with two bachelor degrees and a diploma in Art Therapy. She's dedicated to living with a compassionate approach. Committed to helping people integrate Mindfuln...