sown & uprooted

This year was a stressful year for me in many different ways. Mostly a year that felt uncertain and I was triggered particularly rapidly. Frequently, naughty angry feelings boiling up inside of me if people felt difficult to deal with or things weren’t working out. It was not always easy to calm down first, instead I would have loved to respond in rather explosive ways that would have felt so intensely natural. Anger let’s us feel in the right. It makes it difficult to think straight. Nevertheless, we wouldn’t do our anger just if we don’t also regard it as a positive mechanism to finding solutions, a mechanism to end emotionally or physically painful situations. Although defensive in nature, it is a social response meant to resolve our issues and support improved, balanced interactions with one another. However, who burned some bridges or entire cities in the past, knows that an overtly impulsive expression of one’s anger usually results in unnecessary damage to the relationship.

If you ever had a choleric colleague or maybe a friend who got upset by tiniest events and jelled at you for simply acting clumsy or accidentally knocking something over, then you know well how unpleasant it feels to be on the receiving end of somebody else’s anger. It’s difficult to not turn around if someone’s anger hits us, stresses us out at work, words being said that hurt our feelings. Eventually, angry people feel like an unjustified constant downer to our ability to be happy or feel motivated, safe and secure. Without constant internal relativization, arguments manifest defensiveness, resentment and reciprocated anger. The ways we interact with each-other turn toxic, poisoning the well-being of all involved parties, tainting our approach to life.

“Exposure to most emotion categories can result in a mirroring, or embodiment, of that emotion in the perceiver. Observing anger has the potential to elicit either an anger state, or a ‘complementary’ fear state, reflecting the dual response of fight or flight.” documents a study on anger in our brain and body.

In Conquering Stress & Burnout: Adapting with Adaptogenes it is noticeable how chronic stress and burnout can bring out the worst in us. While most of us have indeed created rather stressful, busy lives, ideally we maintain a peaceful and respectful way of treating each other. Vice versa, constantly suppressing our angry feelings can induce chronic stress and manifest in several health issues such as high blood pressure, stomach upsets or even depression! Hence, working with anger is never about simply repressing our emotions but understanding why they are being triggered. Self-awareness and a moment of distance from a particular situation can give us necessary space to gain perspective.

Sometimes we need a moment to calm down and breathe before it becomes possible to explore healthy alternatives and implement new communication techniques. Sometimes, asking what’s happening in other peoples lives can be the best starting point to communicating our upsets in ways that remove guilt, shame and mere accusations. Seeing that other people also struggle to get life right helps us acknowledge different perspectives on uncomfortable situationships.

Herbal remedies that help manage your anger

Healthy communication can be crystal clear and assertive without blaming, shaming or accusing one another. The different herbal remedies below can become magical, natural supporters to promote change towards healthier ways of communicating our feelings. There is a little bit of everything, herbal remedies to rebalance your gut, sleep better, detox and replenish, decompress and unwind. Often, a proper time-out and giving yourself some TLC can be the missing link you need to see the world from a new perspective!

Wormwood: Drowning in Bitterness? A Herb for Healthy Gut Feelings

Elderflower: The 3 Super Powers of the Black Elderberry and a Delicious Recipe

Nettle: Creamy Nettle Soup: a locally sourced superfood

Chili and Chocolate: A Warming Chocolate Nut Cake Recipe 🌶️ with Chili

Milk, Ginger, Dates & Turmeric: A “German Milk Noodles” Recipe With A Healthy Golden Twist

Valerian & Lavender: Conquering Stress & Anxiety: A Tea Recipe to Calm Down and Sleep Well

St. John’s Wort: Happier – A Tea to alleviate depressive moods

Golden Root, Ginseng, Taiga Root: Conquering Stress & Burnout: Adapting with Adaptogenes

You can find some more inspiration in Tea, an essential part to your wellness rituals where my friend and co-author Corina presents ways to unwind with small self-care rituals.

I hope this helps :)!

– with love –

Lina

sown & uprooted

http://for-a-better-living.com

Please note: As with all things in life, some things will have ripple effects and the amounts make the difference. So please don’t overdose herbal teas either. Especially if you are on medication, suffer a medical condition, are prone to allergic reactions and during pregnancy it’s recommended to seek medical advisory before starting any self medication.