Living Well and Healthy, Part 15

Pursue Healthy Pleasures.  Give yourself permission to make yourself happy.  The good things in life make it easier to deal with the things that aren’t so good.  If it’s been a while since you’ve indulged yourself in something pleasurable, try this exercise:

• Make a list of 10 (or more) things that give you pleasure.
• Do at least one of the things on your list every day for one week.
• Enjoy and repeat.

Help to Make a Healthier World.  Do what you can to make your home, your community, and your world a better place.  Support a cause that is working to make positive changes.  Recycle.  Mentor.  Tutor.  Volunteer.  And remember, peace on Earth begins at home: seek non-violent ways to resolve conflicts at home, at school, at work, and in your community.

So we will understand better why violent ways cannot resolve conflicts, let us consider anger, hostility, violent behavior and abuse.

Anger and Hostility.  According to Healthwise, anger signals your body to prepare for a fight.  When you get angry, adrenalin and other hormones are released into your bloodstream.  Your blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rate all go up.  Anger is a normal response to daily events.  It is the appropriate response to any situation that poses a threat.  Anger can be directed to become a positive driving force behind your actions.

Hostility is being ready for a fight all the time.  Continual hostility keeps your blood pressure high and may increase your risk of heart attack and other illnesses.  Being hostile also isolates you from other people.

When confronted with a situation that might trigger an angry response, ask yourself:

• Is this really important enough to get angry about?
• Am I justified in getting angry?
• Will getting angry really make a difference?
• Is it the current situation that is making me angry or something that happened earlier? 

Notice when you start to become angry, and take steps to deal with your anger in a positive way.  Don’t ignore your anger until you “blow up.”

(How to express your anger in healthy ways will be discussed this coming Monday, 8 July 2013. – J.P.)