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The same is true for your anger.  Your anger doesn’t stand on its own. It has its own roots and these emotions are the real cause of the anxiety you’re feeling. If you can recognize them for what they are, you can easily control your anger in just about any situation.

Your anger may have deep roots that are hard to find, but they’re there. The root causes can be broken down into three different categories. The first of these is guilt and shame. These words are used interchangeably, but they actually have different emotional foundations.

We experience guilt when we feel responsible for something we’ve done. We might have offended someone or we might have committed a crime, or we might simply feel like we did. Whether or not the offense is real or imagined, doesn’t really matter – it still feels very real to us. It’s something that we believe violates our own value system and for us that’s the real measuring stick we judge ourselves by.

We feel shame when our peers have called us out for our actions. This is a very public emotion. Our flaws are on full display for those around us and everyone knows about it. It’s a very intense and painful experience knowing that others think we’re flawed or unworthy.

The second potential root cause of our anger is fear. An acronym that’s used to describe fear is False Evidence Appearing Real and it’s an apt description. We feel fear when we’re worried about a potential outcome, but in most cases, our fears are unfounded.

Our own emotions feed our fear and we let it take control of us. This can cause great anxiety which we feel both physically and emotionally. It’s not a rational emotion, but it feels very real. It often sneaks up on us quite quickly.

When you feel fear building, it’s important to sit back and take a breath. I find it helpful to picture a more positive alternative outcome in your mind’s eye and focus on that instead. It’s amazing what a difference shifting your focus to emotions that are more positive can make.

An example from my own personal experience might help to illustrate what I mean. When I went to prison, I could have been overwhelmed with fear. Instead, I made a conscious effort to take control of my anxieties and overcome my fears. I knew my situation was only temporary and I made the most of the situation by doing a lot of inner reflection. I read a lot as well. The point is you can take control of fear if you just take time to breathe and accept the situation for what it is.

The third root of fear is pain and loss. No matter how painful a situation is it will pass with time. Anyone who’s experienced significant loss knows this – it’s just hard to convince others that it’s true. It’s natural to act out with anger when you’re experiencing a loss, but in the end, it doesn’t help. This is another great time to just breathe and reflect instead.