You get angry and then it goes away. You think all is normal again. Not so fast.
If you get mad about something at home or on your way to work, “the leftover anger will continue to color your decisions at work… without your awareness,” according to the September, 2010 Harvard Business Review.
Their article, “How Anger Poisons Decision Making,” also sites a study that showed people who watched an anger-inducing video about a boy being bullied carried their feelings on to another situation. They were more vindictive toward defendants in fictional cases involving indifference and injury to others than people who did not see the video.
This study says a couple of things to me. One is be careful about what you fill your mind with. Too much violence and negativity is going to affect how you respond to other people in your professional and personal life.
Two is when you get angry --- and we all do at times --- be aware how it is affecting your decisions the rest of the day or even longer. Hold yourself accountable for your actions. It’s okay to get angry from time to time; your job is to control how you show that anger.
Remember when you get angry you have lost control of the situation. You certainly don’t want that. As a result when we do and say things we shouldn’t. I believe we lose our emotional intelligence. We can no longer understand the other person or situation to the level we should, making it impossible to handle the situation in the best way. The bottom line is we “blow it.”
What are some proactive steps? Determine what the signs are when you are starting to get angry, and stop before you start. Fill your mind with positive thoughts, books and videos. Avoid people who get angry easily. Get lots of exercise. If you need help with your anger, have someone hold you accountable for your anger or seek counseling.
There is so much to enjoy in life, don’t let it be diminished by unnecessary anger. Take the high road if someone is mad at you. The air is much cleaner up there.
Please let me know how you keep your anger under control.