3 Benefits Of Anger, According To A Psychologist + When You Should Rein It In

Our negative emotions (like anxiety, fear, shame, and anger) have quite the, well, negative connotation. But each emotion has a specific purpose for humans to survive and thrive—even those not-so-fun feelings. For instance, acute anxiety and fear can deter you from unsafe situations; shame is there to help you realize you've acted against your morals and values. 

That's not to say you should constantly walk around with smoke coming out of your ears. Sure, anger might have its benefits, but Hanson warns against marinating in your anger for a long period of time. "It wears us down," he notes. "It's important to be careful with anger—to feel it and let it lower." 

That's because anger has the ability to easily transform into hatred or ill will, which is not only unhealthy but destructive. "As soon as we slide into ill will, vengeance, or contempt, we're in trouble." So even if you might be practically seething with anger, make sure it's the mobilizing, impactful kind—not the kind that wishes harm on others. Don't suppress the anger you're feeling (you should even welcome it, says Hanson), but make sure there is a healthy way you can deal with it. Anger is meant to be quick and mobilizing; as quickly as it comes, you want to figure out how you can deal with the emotions: "As fast as you can disengage, shift gears and move out of it," Hanson adds.