When some jerk cuts you off in traffic, or a colleague squeezes you out of a project, your first thought is probably how you can give them some payback.
But seeking out revenge isn’t the best way to handle it. Here, 4 tips on how to cool down your quest for vengeance.
Your brain is 2 percent of your body weight, but uses about 20 percent of your daily calories.The MPFC (medial prefrontal cortex), which governs emotion, is especially voracious, says Brad Bushman, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Ohio State.
If the idea of revenge starts to feel irresistible, drink 4 ounces of fruit juice to send a surge of glucose to your MPFC.
2. Delay, Relax, Distract
Many guys try to dissipate anger through cathartic acts, like swearing. Save your breath.
Bushman says indulging your aggression will fuel the vengeful fire inside.
He suggests a three-pronged calming strategy: Delay (count to 100), relax (take some deep breaths and meditate), and distract (work on a puzzle or read).
3. Fight Mad with Glad
“It’s impossible to experience incompatible emotions at the same time,” says Bushman.
Petting a dog, helping a friend with a task, kissing your wife—these are all antithetical to anger.
“Research has shown since the late ’70s that empathy, humor, and mild sexual arousal can all reduce anger,” adds psychologist Arlene Stillwell, Ph.D.
4. Just Look at Yourself
Ask a stranger whether your rage is rational, and he’ll likely say no.
But playing the part of the stranger is even more powerful: Be the fly on the wall, says Bushman, and see yourself through the eyes of an objective observer.
This helps remove emotion from the equation and shows that revenge won’t bring satisfaction.
Source: Men’s Health