Anger: our best friend.

Take a moment to do a quick body scan. Bring your attention to your jaw, shoulders and neck area. Are they tight, clenched, or uncomfortable?

These are the areas where we are likely to carry unprocessed ANGER or resentment.

Many of us saw the destructive effects of anger where it was a parent's out of control anger, a partner's punishing anger or simply justified expressed anger that was met with judgements and labels.

Our anger is sacred. It is the part of us that stands up for us the most when our logical mind wants to downplay how we're feeling. It's the protective fire that prevents others' from walking all over us. It's the quiet urging that something unjust has occurred. Anger shows us where our boundaries are located.

When we don't acknowledge it, it has one of two options. To slowly tear us down from within or be unleashed once we're pushed too far. In my experience, individuals with high empathy tend to do the former due to having an acute awareness of how other's may be affected by unleashed anger but ultimately it comes out leading to guilt, fear and further repression.

Unhealthy vs Healthy Expression of anger is what matters.

Acknowledged, controlled, purposeful, protective, can destruct what no longer serves us. Think of a controlled burn that's done to prevent wild fires down the road.

Reactionary, punishing, vengeful, out of control.

Examples of healthy anger expression: Cathartically writing an angry letter and burning it, confronting someone about their behavior, standing up for others, screaming into the void (not kidding there is an entire method called "Primal Therapy" if you want to read more about it here.)

Working with a professional to discover your own connection to healthy anger can be a great starting place.

If you'd like to learn more about body-awareness and emotion:

The Body Stores Emotion - Where Are You Holding Yours? (whateveryourdose.com)