How to use Anger

[jonny jeez]

So, a few of us (very few thankfully) find ourselves in situations where we could happily take the head off of some ignorant or over aggressive so and so who has cut us up, hurled abuse or perhaps just shown breathtaking stupidity, whilst we try to ride as well as we can.

Its annoying.

But I believe I've found a helpful way to put all that negative energy towards a positive outcome.

Sound too good to be true?...here's how it works.

Next time you line yourself up for the biggest challenge of your ride (PS it helps if you know your route and know where to expect this bit of the ride), be it a monster hill or a long flat soul-less section of headwind riddled road, then try this.

Start to go through that infuriating incident, recall it from the very beginning when you were just ambling along then through the nasty incident itself and then, try to imagine what you would have done if you'd got your day in court and were furnished with witness reports, video capture and sufficient physical evidence to have the offending party locked up for a term of your choice.

By the time you finished with your courtroom "you cant handle the truth" scene....that nasty hill will be history and you'll wonder how you made it up without even noticing.

Works for me.

sometimes

 

[cyberknight]

 

[Matthew_T]

I had an incident at the start of the summer involving two Irish cars.
It started with the second passing me at a set of traffic lights and cutting in on me and stopping. This was a typical incident so I was willing to let it go after I have given the driver a good stare.
When the lights changed, I was now between the two Irish cars and the one in front seemed to just slow down for some strange reason, causing me to filter past. The then passed me moments later and the driver said something. I couldnt hear so just ignored them. Then the car which had cut me up passed and the driver gave me the finger. This really annoyed me.
I got to a busy town and wasnt far behind them. When I caught up, I filtered past and told the driver that everything was on camera and I was reporting them to the police. The passenger gave me the finger again as I turned so I decided to follow.
Where the road split, they were going the oposite way to me so I sped past them and gave the passenger the finger.

A few miles down the road, I was absolutely steaming so pulled over somewhere quite and secluded and had a really good shout and 'swear session' coming out with things which I had never said before.

Motorists annoy me and get me angry but never like this before. The shout really allowed me to calm down and get it all out of my system without taking it out on anyone who didnt deserve it.

I welcome people having 'swear sessions' as you tend to tense up and it relaxes you afterwards as you are tired. I also welcome people to have 'crying sessions' when stressed. It really does help.

 

[gaz]

Breath in, breath out. Pedal harder and leave the incident behind.

 

[jonny jeez]

Breath in, breath out. Pedal harder and leave the incident behind.

Totally.

what i'm talking about is just a mental distraction from the task in hand, use that memory, embellish it create a neat distraction and then, before you know it you are at the top of the hill.

Dont carry the anger around, use it for something positive

 

[Melonfish]

you know some days i'll just shake my head and cycle on.
other days the same style incident will leave me just steaming all the way to/from work.
odd.

 

[freewheelwilly]

you know some days i'll just shake my head and cycle on.
other days the same style incident will leave me just steaming all the way to/from work.
odd.

I'm the same. I guess it boils down to how mellow you are feeling that day. I let some shocking incidents go by without me getting involved. Whilst other minor incidents get the full wrath of my ire.

 

[Globalti]

It's all about adrenaline. If somebody is angry the most dangerous time is when their face is white with fury; that's when the adrenaline is flooding their body and the "fight or flight" response is in full swing. Part of that response is to drain blood from the peripherals as a protective measure and to make more blood available to the heart, lungs and muscles for fighting or running. Once the person goes red in the face they are beginning to experience emotion, which means they are past the dangerous phase when they're likely to lash out spontaneously or make a run for it.

I once experienced road rage when some idiot undertook me and forced his car into the traffic in front of me, causing me to brake hard. Don't like to admit it but I lost it; I hit the horn and the high beam in blind fury and held them while driving a couple of feet from his bumper. He must have realised I wasn't fooling around because he suddenly swerved across lane 1 and dived down a slip road. It took me a couple of miles to compose myself and my heart was still racing minutes later, in fact I had a pain in my chest for a couple of days afterwards, caused I believe by my heart rate hitting a dangerous level. I also realised that incidents like that can kill a person so I haven't allowed it to happen again; I keep an eye out and when I see some bastard sneaking up on my inside I close the gap on them and box them in, ha ha!

 

[sheddy]

and breathe...