Last week, I lost my cool with a customer service representative on the phone. This week, I became frustrated with a fellow motorist. I made a gesture. No, not that gesture, more of a “What are you doing?” gesture. I immediately felt bad about both incidents. In the latter example, the motorist pulled into my son’s school. The car held an older couple, probably grandparents. I had become frustrated with a nice couple who were probably picking up their grandchild. It was time to ask myself that same question: What are you doing?
In an effort to turn the above events into something productive, I decided to investigate the topic of anger. I am a psychologist who literally teaches stress management to medical students and psychiatry residents. Every day, I help my patients cope more effectively with their stressors, including their anger. Sure, I am........