Here's the thing. I can get riled up pretty easily. Especially if someone/something irritates me on a regular basis. Don't get me wrong, I don't fly off the handle at the slightest provocation (usually), but if things build up for a while, I either have to rant and rave to someone, fantasize about elaborate scenarios in which bad things happen to the people who have pissed me off, OR...exercise.
Yep. It's a cliche, that exercise helps you blow off steam, but it's true. And here's why. Exercise makes you feel like you are being aggressive. I pound the pavement with my feet, but I imagine I'm stomping on the face of the person or situation that is aggravating me. I'm swinging my arms, but in my head, I'm punching whatever irritates me. If I need to get rid of some negative energy on a day I'm supposed to swim, I can do that, too. Slap the water, slap the source of annoyance. Kick off the wall, kick the stress away. Biking isn't quite the same, but I can still channel my anger into energy, pedal really fast, and act like I'm about to run over whatever is standing in my way.
I know some people say yoga or meditation are "healthier" ways to detox the mind and be at peace, but when I'm really irked, the last thing I can focus on is harmony and my breathing. Yoga is great, and certainly has its place, but it's just not as satisfying as finishing a workout all sweaty and panting, feeling like I just got in a fight and won.
Plus, after a vigorous workout, I'm much less likely to bring one of my elaborate fantasies of retaliation to life. I promise.
I'm scared. And scarred. (Like for real I have scars from when we were kids. Good thing you found a better way to channel that anger! :P)
ReplyDeleteI was scared of you before I knew about your "anger issues." Ha! It's always the short women that you have to watch out for, they're tough. Oops, I called you short. Don't hurt me. ;)
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