Tame The RAGE
Everybody likes to laugh about people road raging. There's whole social media groups dedicated to videos showing the absurdity of the behavior. But to those of us who've experienced road rage firsthand, it's no joke.
We know how the rage takes hold of us and hijacks our whole body and mind. We know the deafening roar of the rage as it propels us into actions we later regret. Actions that embarrass us.
We know how hopeless it feels. So we justify it. We say "if that blankety-blank wasn't driving like a moron, I wouldn't be so upset!" And that makes sense in the moment. But deep down we all know the truth. We know we need to gain control of our road rage before we hurt someone - even our own kids.
What if I told you there was a way to end road rage forever, and that it only requires about 15 minutes a day? Would you invest that time?
Or would you prefer to just insist that you calm yourself down and try to white knuckle the whole thing? I can tell you, the white knuckling sometimes feels productive. But in the end, it's not an effective intervention.
We know how the rage takes hold of us and hijacks our whole body and mind. We know the deafening roar of the rage as it propels us into actions we later regret. Actions that embarrass us.
We know how hopeless it feels. So we justify it. We say "if that blankety-blank wasn't driving like a moron, I wouldn't be so upset!" And that makes sense in the moment. But deep down we all know the truth. We know we need to gain control of our road rage before we hurt someone - even our own kids.
What if I told you there was a way to end road rage forever, and that it only requires about 15 minutes a day? Would you invest that time?
Or would you prefer to just insist that you calm yourself down and try to white knuckle the whole thing? I can tell you, the white knuckling sometimes feels productive. But in the end, it's not an effective intervention.
That's Not How Rage Works
We all know what rage looks like in it's full-blown expression. In other words, we can see when someone is enraged. But what we don't see is the way rage develops. Even the most rage-o-holic person in the world doesn't become totally enraged in an instant. It looks that way - heck, it even feels that way to the enraged person - but that's not the way it works.
It also never works to tell an enraged person to 'Calm Down.' In fact, when we tell an enraged person - even ourself! - to calm down, it's as likely as anything to have the opposite effect. And this is no accident.
All forms of anger are supposed to push us to do and say. things we ordinarily wouldn't. This is why we call anger a secondary emotion. It is like a second wave of protection when our initial emotion wasn't enough. It's meant to push us beyond our usual boundaries in unusual circumstances. Rage, of course, is the ultimate form and expression of anger.
This is important, because it illustrates how we can solve the riddle and avoid rage BEFORE it becomes that explosive hijacking of the day.
Every form of self regulation relies on self awareness. And rage is no different! It is when we can SEE the rage approaching that we can actually do something about it.
It also never works to tell an enraged person to 'Calm Down.' In fact, when we tell an enraged person - even ourself! - to calm down, it's as likely as anything to have the opposite effect. And this is no accident.
All forms of anger are supposed to push us to do and say. things we ordinarily wouldn't. This is why we call anger a secondary emotion. It is like a second wave of protection when our initial emotion wasn't enough. It's meant to push us beyond our usual boundaries in unusual circumstances. Rage, of course, is the ultimate form and expression of anger.
This is important, because it illustrates how we can solve the riddle and avoid rage BEFORE it becomes that explosive hijacking of the day.
Every form of self regulation relies on self awareness. And rage is no different! It is when we can SEE the rage approaching that we can actually do something about it.
Rage Becomes Who We Are
And it's not entirely your fault. The more you've experienced rage - in whatever situations - you've kinda practiced being enraged. Over time, your nervous system has come to rely on this reflex, and it has become a mental habit - and part of your personality.
The good news is that just as the repeated behavior has gotten you into this personality trait, it is simple behavior that will get you out of it.
Think of it this way:
If you're holding a cup of coffee and someone accidentally bumps your arm, coffee will spill out. Every time. It won't be tea, or water, or orange juice that will spill from your cup, because your cup is filled with coffee.
Over years of experiencing rage - road or otherwise - it's like you are filled with rage, resentment, etc, just like a cup might be filled with coffee. When you commit to just a few minutes a day of mental exercises - easy, simple, and comfortable exercises - you fill your cup with something other than rage. Then, when someone on the road 'bumps your arm' something other than rage will spill out.
Ok, so thats how you can tame your rage, but what about WHY?
The good news is that just as the repeated behavior has gotten you into this personality trait, it is simple behavior that will get you out of it.
Think of it this way:
If you're holding a cup of coffee and someone accidentally bumps your arm, coffee will spill out. Every time. It won't be tea, or water, or orange juice that will spill from your cup, because your cup is filled with coffee.
Over years of experiencing rage - road or otherwise - it's like you are filled with rage, resentment, etc, just like a cup might be filled with coffee. When you commit to just a few minutes a day of mental exercises - easy, simple, and comfortable exercises - you fill your cup with something other than rage. Then, when someone on the road 'bumps your arm' something other than rage will spill out.
Ok, so thats how you can tame your rage, but what about WHY?
3 reasons to control your road rage:
#1: It's DANGEROUS!
#2: It's UNHEALTHY
#3: It STEALS Away your FAMILY
#2: It's UNHEALTHY
#3: It STEALS Away your FAMILY