Surfing Your Adrenalin Wave: How to Dissolve--Not Disguise--Anger by Maya Talisman Frost

china shop.

With all our blood rushing to our extremities, our brains

are getting the leftovers. This is the worst possible

time for us to be logical. When we're angry and that

adrenalin is surging, we're far more likely to say things

we'll regret and to make decisions that will have us

shaking our heads later. If you react verbally or

respond intellectually in that adrenalin moment, you're

going to have some clean-up in aisle 12 later--

apologies and general repair of relationships and

projects.

Most of us have learned that we need to step back

when we're really upset in order to avoid making a mess

of things. Here's something you may not know: it

takes a full 90 minutes for your body to get back to

normal after experiencing a blast of adrenalin.

Ninety minutes. That means that a simple "time-out"

for your child isn't likely to relax him, and postponing

that important meeting for 10 minutes while you cool

down isn't going to guarantee that you'll be fully

capable of handling your issue in a level headed way.

If you really want to take advantage of your body's

natural mechanism for survival, you might as well learn

to work with it. The good news is that, with a little

flexibility, we can use our physiology to help us thrive

and even make us healthier.

You've got to move, and you've got to breathe. Isn't it

convenient that those two go together so well?

Here are the four best strategies for surfing your

adrenalin wave:

*Paddle. Your arms and legs need movement, so look

for acceptable ways to get active. Go to the restroom

and do some jumping jacks if you can't sneak away for

a walk or head to the gym for a workout. Move some

boxes. Sort the recycling. Reshelve some books. Beat

the rugs. Shake out the comforters. Go for a run.

Crank up your stereo and dance with the kids in the

living room. Jump on the exercise bike or go cycling

around the neighborhood. Walk to another part of the

building. Find a corner and do some push-ups.

Activate those appendages!

*Laugh. When we're angry, our bellies tighten up. We

take shallow breaths at the chest level. This just adds

to the brain drain! We need to relax enough that our

bellies can move freely as we breathe, and if we don't

get that by doing some cardio that makes us huff and

puff, the next best thing is to laugh. Get a laugh

partner, and agree to call and guffaw--no talking

allowed. Bust a gut, and breathe deeply.

*Sing. You need some serious exhalations, so jump in

the shower and blast out your favorite power ballad.

Get in your car and sing along with the radio. Releasing

sound is therapeutic in itself. Throw in some

dance moves, and you've got it covered!

*Avoid meditation. Ignore what you've heard about

thinking through your anger. Mindfulness is immensely

valuable, but trying to meditate when you're really

angry is not realistic or helpful. Be active first, and

then sit. The only way to handle that adrenalin in a

healthy way is to engage physically. You've got to be

calm to be mindful. Get control of yourself physically

before using your mind to address a problem.

Next time you get mad, get moving.

Work with your body instead of against it. Learn to

surf that adrenalin wave, and you'll become a better

decision maker, a more relaxed parent, and a healthier

human.

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BIO:

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse as well as a former personal fitness trainer. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 80 countries. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com.

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