Your Rage Is an Opportunity
A therapist’s advice for feeling energized, not exhausted, by anger
For many of us, 2020 has been a long journey from fear to rage. We’ve watched our anxiety about the pandemic and the election transform into a primal scream of anger. We’re angry at our neighbors for not taking the same precautions as us, our leaders for their unreliable responses, even ourselves for not being as resilient as we thought we were.
Anger is an uncomfortable but necessary emotion. We use it to act quickly when we sense danger and to defend our personal boundaries and the rights and safety of others. But I often tell my therapy clients that while anger can energize you, it can also leave you feeling burnt out and powerless. It can send you careening toward hopelessness.
But you can turn all that rage into energy that promotes good and brings out your best self. Here’s how.
Root your anger in reality
I suggest that my clients ask themselves two questions when they experience anger. First: Is my anger rooted in reality or in my imagination?
When we’re angry, it’s difficult to stay objective. Instead, we can become reactive — we jump to conclusions, disregard our own mental health, act without thinking strategically, and ignore…
