Is office rage on the increase?
Everyone has the odd bad day at work. The train is late, the boss lands an unexpected pile of work on your desk, your computer goes on the blink and the coffee machine has broken down. But what happens when every day is a bad one and your frustration is escalating out of control.
Anger in the workplace is an increasingly common problem according to leading UK HR and psychological health specialist Validium. Calls to its employee helpline have risen significantly over the past year alone – not just from those feeling simmering resentment every day but also those suffering at the hands of a permanently angry colleague.
Mike Shaw, Validium’s MD, said: “Anger is not always necessarily a problem. It is a normal human emotion and it is perfectly healthy to experience such feelings. But there are occasions when anger can get out of control and becomes damaging as a result.
“When anger leads to aggression, when it seems completely out of proportion with the apparent cause, or when someone seems to be angry all the time it is likely to lead to difficulties in the angry person’s life at work and at home.
“At times anger can seem so powerful that the individual can feel as if they are controlled by the emotion rather than being able to keep it in check.”
In extreme cases anger can lead to a complete meltdown like Michael Douglas’s character in Falling Down, or even assault or murder.
So what can you do to control the rage and stop yourself from turning into the office Hulk? Mike recommends that you first take a long hard look at why you are angry. If you realise that it is because you are just in the wrong job or you have a toxic boss then it might be time to start calling the recruitment consultants and removing yourself from a situation that makes you so unhappy. If that isn’t practical, or if every job you have been in makes you feel the same way, then there are a number of practical ways to control your temper.
Mike suggests using the following technique when the red mist starts to descend:
- Stop yourself in mid-thought or action. Recognise that you have become angry.
- Take 4 or 5 deep breaths. Breathe from your diaphragm not your chest.
- Repeat a calming word such as ‘relax’ to yourself while breathing deeply.
- Take yourself away from the situation you are in. Go for a walk or go into another room.
- Visualise and focus on a relaxing experience, such as being on a beach.
Relaxation in any form is also useful in helping to reduce anger and the tendency to be angry. This could include physical exercise, leisure activities, fun times, yoga and meditation.
Mike also suggests sitting back and taking stock of your situation. He said: “You should remember that when you are angry it is usually only confined to a small area of your life. Look at the bigger picture and make yourself aware of the large parts of your life where anger is not a problem. Remembering the things that you are good at can be helpful here as self-dissatisfaction can often contribute to anger.”
However if none of this helps, victims should seek professional support. Mike said: “People often find that they are able to analyse and understand their tendency to anger far better when doing it with another person. Talk to a family member, work colleague, partner or spiritual leader. See a counsellor – many large companies have access to counselling through Employee Assistance Programmes.”
Posted March 15, 2006
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