TOMI Magazine November 2012

Does your job require an impossible number of tasks completed by unreasonable dead- lines? Or perhaps you have a perfectionist, controlling boss who micromanages everything you do. These are examples of high-pressure jobs. Whether it’s fast-paced work, difficult work, too much work, or a stressful office pop- ulated by difficult personalities, many of us have jobs that leave us feeling frustrated, re- sentful, and angry. At its extreme, job-related anger can lead to workplace violence, which ranks among the top four causes of death in work- places during the past years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 3,000 people die from workplace homicide annually, and more than 15,000 workers a year suffer nonfatal injuries as a result of workplace vio- lence. What do you do when you’re so angry that you have to urge to break something, yell at someone, or worst of all, strike out? Here are some strategies that will help. MANAGEMENT DEALING WITH ANGER IN A HIGH-PRESSURE JOB S IX STEP PROCESS

Recognize that anger is a physical state Realize that frustration means anger, and an- ger is just a pure physical sensation. You can literally work anger out of your body like a masseuse works a kink out of your muscles. You need to move that energy out, physically and constructively in a safe place. Do it where nothing of values is harmed—including your- self-and no one is around to inhibit you. Feel how the anger affects your body Look for anger’s physical clues: ears getting hot, face flushing, chest pounding, rage mov- ing up your spine, sudden sweating, muscles tensing, and feeling as if you’re about to ex- plode. This is good! Once you can identify the feeling as physical, it’s not difficult to move the energy up and out your body. Get yourself to the nearest private bath- room When you’re ready to lose it, instead of biting your coworker’s head off or throwing verbal darts at your boss and losing your job, excuse yourself to a private bathroom and lock the door. To release anger from your body, push against a wall as hard as you can. Or grab the bathroom stall door and shake it on its hinges as if you were going to break it off the foundation. Or jump and down, stomp- ing your feet and shaking your fists.

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