You’ve finally had it. You’re angry and you’re not gonna take it anymore. Before you tell someone off, quit your job, or finally toss that aggravating project, come up with a plan to “spend” your anger effectively.
Photo by Amy McTigue.
As business blog Inc. points out, anger can be a useful emotion when channeled correctly. If you’ve reached the point where you’re so angry that it’s motivating you to take action, that can be good. However, anger can also compromise your decision making. Instead, try to hit pause on your anger while you take some time to decide on a rational course of action. Then, once you’ve decided on your plan, bring that motivating energy back to execute it:
You could simply go off on your colleague, calling them out publicly on all of their negative behaviours and telling them that everyone’s sick and tired of it. Will that change their behaviour? Possibly. But is that really how you want to handle the situation? Not only will this adversely affect your relationship with this colleague, but you may damage your reputation among others as well.
In contrast, if you take time to think your actions and their consequences through, your strategy will be much more effective. In the heat of the moment, though, you won’t always be inspired to sit back and reflect on the situation. That’s why it’s important to learn to keep control.
Anger can be dangerous, but it can also motivate you to stop accepting a crappy situation. This aspect of anger is good, so long as you harness it correctly. Keep in mind that what feels cathartic in the moment may not be the best solution for you long-term. However, if you have a solid, rational plan, anger can be the fuel that gets you there.
Comments