Healthy anger vs toxic anger

We all experience anger at times, and though we may have been taught that it’s inherently bad or toxic, anger is actually an important, healthy and valuable emotion; it tells us when something we care about is under attack and mobilises the body to take action. It’s our expression of this anger, or lack thereof, that can be problematic. Whether we’re prone to lashing out or bottling up, shifting to a more skillful and mindful expression can greatly benefit our relationships with both others and ourselves, and even our physical health. In this episode of Mentally Stronger, I break down four styles of anger expression - aggressive, passive-aggressive, suppressive and assertive - and invite you to consider which of these rings true for you. If healthy anger has never been modelled to you, it’s easy to default to an unhelpful style. Once you’ve taken that first step of identifying where you fall, you can start to shift into an expression that allows you to healthily and constructively honour and communicate your needs and boundaries. I share three tips to help you do exactly that.Key links: Get the Checklist for Healthy Angerhttps://melliobrien.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Checklist-for-Healthy-Anger.pdfMelli O’Brien: https://melliobrien.comJoin the waitlist for Headstrong, Melli's 8-week online training course:https://melliobrien.com/headstrong-program/