Anger is on the rise. From rude encounters in the retail market, to road rage, to random blows rained on unsuspecting pedestrians on urban streets, to stabbings, shootings and subway pushings, our daily lives have become fraught with anger and frustration.
Just a few days ago, actor Steve Buscemi became the latest victim of random urban violence when he was punched in the face by a man he did not know just as he was going about the New York city streets.
Some experts date this elevated level of anger to the Covid pandemic. A Harvard study speaks about “the pandemic’s raging effects.” Indeed, this especially difficult period in our lives spawned a new word: “panger”.
One writer admitted that while she was a little bit better in some respects since the pandemic, the biggest change that she has experienced has been that, “I’m so angry. Not cartoonishily angry with a big, red face and gritted teeth but rather in my bones, more than anything, I know that I’m much more of an angry person than I ever have been before.”
Gallup’s annual survey of global emotions finds that last year, Americans experienced stress, anger and worry at levels largely surpassing those seen over the past decade. More than half of United States respondents—around 55 percent—reported feelings of high stress the day prior to being polled, according to a Gallup press release, while 45 percent said they felt worried “a lot of the day.”
But dating this rise to the pandemic may be erroneous. There are indications that it has been building for far longer. According to a poll taken just before the pandemic, 84% of people think Americans are angrier than a generation before.
What are some of the factors that have caused the change? Certainly, the cost of living has become a crisis for many—especially since the pandemic as the disruption in the supply chain led to a jump in prices for most commodities. Post-pandemic, there is the suspicion that as consumers, we are being gouged by greedy corporations and suppliers who realized that they could get away with unjustified price hikes. This makes us feel frustrated and powerless and leads to anger.
Global injustices are a source of angst for many, and the wars that are raging in Europe and the Middle East fuel fear and insecurity. Witness the spate of pro-Palestinian and antisemitism protests flaring on university campuses and the social disruptions they are causing.
In the US politics have never been so polarized and the interactions between the two parties so bitter and uncivilized; and the media stokes strong emotions by sensationalizing the news for ratings.
According to UK mental health charity Mind: “We may feel anger at having been treated badly or unfairly by others. Our anger may be a reaction to difficult experiences in our daily life, our past, or in the world around us.” The complex set of emotions interact in ways that amplify each other: “we may feel anger alongside feeling attacked, powerless, embarrassed or scared.”
Is there an upside to feeling anger? The acknowledgement of it relieves some of the pressure we may be feeling. Expressing it validates it, and according to experts, “Research overwhelmingly indicates that feeling angry increases optimism, creativity, effective performance—and research suggests that expressing anger can lead to more successful negotiations, in life or on the job.”
We may be powerless to affect the causes of our anger, but we can learn to manage it more effectively. Here are a few tips from mental health experts:
Acknowledge it without trying to justify it or understand why. This sometimes can be helpful.
Take yourself out of the situation. You could go for a walk, go to a different room or take some time to engage in one of your hobbies.
Focus on what’s around you. Try listing 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
Take a breather, literally. Breathe slowly and deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
And finally, acknowledge to yourself that while you may not have the power to change the world, you can change your reaction to the events surrounding you
