How to Release Anger & Resentment

I get it: this post has NOTHING to do with travel or any of my usual topics.  So why am I writing about anger, of all things?  The purpose of this blog is to explore topics I find relevant, insightful, or inspiring.  And I believe that the cultivation of emotional maturity, which includes releasing anger effectively ~ is a HUGELY under-discussed, yet much-needed topic.  We all want to handle ourselves with greater maturity: but I think many of us simply don’t know HOW.  And not everyone can afford therapy.  So in this post, I’m providing two extremely effective, inexpensive methods for learning how to release anger & resentment.

Learn how to release anger, & it will benefit you for a lifetime.

Why This Topic is Relevant for Me

This post is especially relevant for me, because I lost a long-time friendship earlier this year, due to a trip that went very awry.  Unexpressed, bottle-up anger turned into full-on rage during a long car ride, & in this particular situation: I felt genuinely afraid for my safety.  And this is a friend I’ve had for over 20 years.  I could never have imagined the day when her & I wouldn’t be friends.  But this repressed anger & terrifying rage ~ combined with concern for my safety, were absolutely unacceptable.  A hard limit had been reached for me, & there was no going back after that point. 

Unexpressed anger can cost you friendships & relationships.  Because it always finds a way out, somehow.  And usually with people you love.

And that’s why I wanted to write this post.  I know I’m not the only person who has dealt with anger issues.  And I don’t find anything particularly shameful about admitting that: anger is a perfectly normal emotion.  Kids get angry all the time ~ but they usually tantrum their way through it & forget about it twenty minutes later!  The problem is: when we’re adults, we can’t throw tantrums anymore…but we still get angry (because we’re human).  So what do we do with it then?  Can we effectively learn how to release anger without hurting someone, or ourselves, in the process? 

Anger is perfectly natural when released & expressed in healthy ways. The problem? Most of us don’t know how to do that…

The answer is: 100%, yes we can.  You can.  Exercise (particularly boxing), talking to a trusted friend or therapist, & journaling are all highly effective ways of releasing anger. You must take that angry energy, acknowledge it, figure out EXACTLY what drives you so crazy, & ultimately: let it go.

It’s when you can’t let it go ~ that you have a problem.

Signs That You Need to Release Anger

Sometimes, you may find yourself in a situation where traditional methods just don’t work.  Or you simply can’t “let it go.”  Here are signs that additional work may be beneficial:

• You find yourself snapping at people often, & sometimes for no reason;
• You get road rage….A LOT;
• You notice that people have begun to distance themselves from you, & you’re not quite sure why;
• You feel impatient or exasperated often;
• You’re easily irritated ~ whether by a waiter, your significant other, or your kids;
• There’s a chronic situation or person in your life (such as a boss), who causes you great stress on a regular basis;
• There’s a person or situation in your life that you just can’t forgive, no matter how hard you try;
• You feel “stuck,” & have felt that way for quite some time, but can’t figure out why;  
• Your anger has cost you a friendship, relationship, or a job.

If any of these are true for you, then doing work to release anger will be extremely beneficial.  So many areas of your life will change for the better.  And if ALL of these are true for you: then for heaven’s sake: DO THIS WORK ASAP!!!

 How to Release Anger & Resentment

Both techniques I’m recommending here are guided meditations, & should be done by yourself, in complete privacy.  You can find them on Amazon & ITunes.

  The first guided meditation I’m recommending is POTENT.  It gets right at the source of whatever, or WHOEVER, is causing you the most anguish ~ right now, in your life.  It’s called “Anger Releasing,” & was created by Louise Hay.  Louise is one of the original “self-help” gurus, who long-ago identified that many bodily ailments are directly related to specific, negative thought patterns.  Read more about this in her watershed book, “You Can Heal Your Life.” 

Louise Hay passed away in 2017, but she left an arsenal of ways for us to effectively deal with emotions: & learning how to release anger is one of the most important.

In “Anger Releasing,” you’ll be invited to “confront” five people in your life.  You’re encouraged to tell them ~ either out loud, or in your mind, EXACTLY why you’re angry with them.  (Some of the things you’re actually angry about may shock you.)  Louise also invites you to punch, hit, or throttle your pillows ~ whatever you need to do to get the anger physically OUT of your body.  It may sound primal, or childish, but I promise you: it’s HIGHLY effective.

Two things I love about this meditation: 1) By doing it in complete privacy, you can say EXACTLY what’s pissing you off, without worrying about a therapist (or friend’s) judgement, & 2) By addressing 5 people, she allows you to address both current & past grievances ~ ones that may never have been fully addressed.  It’s THOROUGH.  After doing this meditation, I cannot tell you how much LIGHTER I feel, as if some burden or weight has been lifted.  It’s quite incredible. 

But you have to be willing to go there.

Bottom Line: You need to be emotionally brave to use this meditation, & willing to confront your past.  But if you can get through it, you will feel SO much better.  It’s like having an emotional enema.

 Belleruth Naparstek Anger Meditation

Where Louise’s meditation is like a full-frontal attack on your anger ~ Belleruth’s is more of a slow & gentle unwinding of it.  Her “Guided Mediation for Anger & Forgiveness” is subtle, & may require more listens to really get at the root of the problem.  But for some: this may be the better way to go. 

She leads you through a 20-minute guided meditation, followed by 20 minutes of affirmations, designed to invoke compassion & forgiveness.  Affirmations work on your subconscious mind, & are used by everyone from Louise Hay to Tony Robbins (he calls them incantations).  They are powerful, but I find they need to be used repetitively; whereas Louise’s CD is more like a one-two punch to your anger.

Belleruth Naparstek is a pioneer in the guided imagery field, & has created a vast library of over 60 different guided meditations.

Bottom Line: A more subtle approach for dealing with anger & forgiveness, but no less effective.  Belleruth also has a LIBRARY of work: for trauma & PTSD, anxiety, & even for relaxation & overall wellness.  Her work is recommended by the Mayo Clinic, Kaiser, Johns Hopkins, & the U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs.

How to Release Anger & Resentment

If you’ve randomly come across this post on “Google,” my intent is that it helps you figure out the source of your anger.  If these meditations resonate with you, as they did with me, I know they will make a HUGE difference in your life.  You will feel SO much lighter.  Your spirit & energy will be brighter, & your relationships will be enhanced.  You’ll be more aware of your own boundaries, & that in itself, is an enormous blessing.

xoxo Noelia 

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