The Anger Management Exercise
This last year has been intense for all of us on a global level. 🌎 As I help many of my clients maneuver through these issues during sessions I see these limits being met and communication breaking down as stress rises.
As we cautiously move about in our new world we continue to be in close proximity to some loved ones and completely distant from others. Adding this strain on top of already stressful circumstances can make it hard to articulate and fully understand the emotions we are experiencing. Depending on your communication style, examples in your life, and your upbringing, this can be triggering for people, and lead to behaviours we don’t feel we can control.
I know I harp on physical exercise with my clients, and it is something that ebbs and flows in my life, but it is key to managing both anger and anxiety. Recently, my trainer introduced me to an exercise she said some of her clients call ‘The Anger Management Exercise’.
Here’s a simple look at how it goes:
1. She positioned a weighted ball on a mat in front of her
2. She then lifted the ball above her head and bent into a squat position
3. Then she launched the ball, throwing it back onto the mat at her feet
After performing the exercise myself, I was shocked by my emotional response. It made me vastly uncomfortable, even though feeling uncomfortable felt silly. This wasn’t a complex task, but the idea of an activity where I was to throw a heavy object on the ground HARD went against everything I had been taught as a girl.
Be quiet. Don’t take up space. Make other people feel comfortable. Don’t be angry. And if you’re angry, don’t show it. Wow. Powerful. To use my body in an explosive, socially acceptable way to move energy and dispel aggression. There’s no going back!!
This offers one example of channelling a strong emotion in a positive way, without harm to self, others or things. When you think about examples of strong emotions you have, are you processing them in constructive ways? Spend some time thinking about strategies you could use to let go of difficult emotions in ways that serve you and your relationships.
Looking to release stress in a different way? Check out my grounding meditation playlist here.
