Does your ANGER control you?
- Vida Resource Center
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Every time you explode in anger your amygdala hijacks your brain for hours. But every time you resist it, your prefrontal cortex rewires, making you calmer, smarter and harder to manipulate.
When you get angry, your amygdala floods your brain with stress signals. Your heart rate spikes, cortisol surges and your rational thought shuts down. This anger outburst can keep your in fight mode for 4 hours.
Chronic anger shrinks connections between your prefrontal cortex, the logical brain and your amygdala, your emotions. This makes you easier to trigger, less empathetic and more impulsive.
Here's the good news! Every time you resist an angry impulse your prefrontal cortex strengthens. Neuroscientists call this neuroplasticity which is the brain rewiring itself through repetition. Each time you resist anger you build emotional regulation, compassion and cognitive control.
Here are 4 practical tips to control your anger.
The 90 second rule: When triggered wait 90 seconds. Thats how long the chemical surge of anger lasts before fading. If you don't fuel your anger with thoughts, it will pass.
Label it: Say in your mind, "I'm feeling anger." This simple act activates the prefrontal cortex and calms the amygdala. Naming emotions, tames emotions.
Breathing for Control: Inhale 4 seconds, exhale 6 seconds. Long exhales trigger the vagus nerve which lowers cortisol. Your brain shifts from fight or flight to calm regulation.
Train like a Muscle: Every resisted outburst equals a mental push up. Over time your default state becomes calmer, clearer and more compassionate.
Resisting your anger rewires your brain. Every moment of control is an investment in a stronger, calmer and more unshakable YOU!
Do you control your anger or does it control you?
