Curb your anger with feel-good methods

Stuck in traffic, you find yourself in a fury at the waste of time. When you get home to a sink of dirty dishes, you imagine smashing each one against the wall. And when the third solicitor calls on the phone, you feel your back or neck muscles go into spasm. Your pain response is likely no coincidence. When you feel yourself getting angry, take several slow, deep breaths. If that doesn't work, here are a few other methods.

For years, studies have linked anger, both suppressed and expressed, to chronic pain such as headaches and back pain.

• Anger's no sleeping pill either. It rouses your fight-or-flight response, increasing your adrenaline, raising your blood pressure and speeding your heartbeat.
• A recent study sheds a new light on the connection. It found that people who vented their anger explosively or who got angry easily had more intense pain and produced fewer naturally occurring opioids than people who bottled up their anger.
• If you're someone who is often angry, especially if you suppress anger, you may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy. The therapist will focus on teaching you ways to express your anger constructively and on changing the attitudes and thoughts that make you angry.

Recognizing what makes your body feel good is essential to controlling your pain. Most of us are aware of at least some feel-good triggers that help us forget our pain, or at least send it away for a while. Here are some other possibilities to explore.

• Exercise. Just try asking a postrace runner to wipe that smile off his face. You don't have to run to get the feeling: swimming, cross-country skiing, tennis or a 30-minute stint on a stationary bike can all trigger great feelings and stir the production of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.
• Make love. There's no more pleasurable way to release a flood of endorphins.
• Pet a pet. Even a few minutes spent petting a dog or cat can trigger the release of serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin, all hormones that make us feel good. And the purring or tail wagging you get in return is sure to put a smile on your face.
• Savour some chocolate. There may be a reason that we love chocolate. Like exercise and sex, chocolate releases endorphins that kill pain. Don't overdo it; a few grams will do the trick.
• Get some sun. Ever notice how much better you feel on a sunny day? Wear sunscreen, of course.
• Turn to suspense. Watch a few scary movies or ride a roller coaster. In the aftermath of fear comes a burst of endorphins that will leave you feeling a rush.
• Talk to your funniest friend. People who are happy and optimistic tend to relax us and make us laugh.

Anger can lead to stress, high blood pressure and other health concerns. Try these simple methods and your can control your anger in no time.