What's Good About Anger?
WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT ANGER COURSE TEACHES
PARENTS HOW TO CHANNEL EMOTION
COVINGTON - Anger is a positive emotion, despite being a frequent disrupter of relationships at work and at home. Explosive outbursts and suppressed hostility are common expressions of anger, and both are unhealthy sources of stress.
That’s why the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Parenting Center is offering a 12-week course designed to help adult participants manage their anger and use it as a springboard to improve communication with family members and others. The class is open to parents and non-parents alike.
The “What’s Good About Anger?” course will explore anger triggers and help participants learn how to redirect their emotions, says Paula Jarrell, STPH Parenting Center Education Coordinator certified by The Anger Institute to teach the course.
Becoming aware of what triggers an angry response is key to managing it, Jarrell says. Your body tells you when you are becoming angry — clenched teeth and a racing heart are among the signs — so understanding those signs presents an opportunity to intervene and redirect that anger, she says.
Effective coping skills may include allowing a mental time-out to calm down or physically moving away from the source of anger for a short period. Students in the upcoming class will practice calming techniques such as meditation and ways to express frustration in positive ways.
“Feeling angry isn’t bad; it’s how you respond to it that can be good or bad,” Jarrell says.
The class will meet from 6- 8 p.m. every Tuesday starting Aug. 26 in the Abita Room at the STPH Conference Center, 2012 S. Tyler St. The cost is $100 for Parenting Center members and $150 for nonmembers.
For more information or to register, contact Jarrell at 985-898-4435, 985-898-4609 or pjarrell@stph.org.
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A full-service acute care facility committed to providing world-class healthcare and the latest technology, St. Tammany Parish Hospital delivers today’s life-improving procedures with the utmost care to area residents with emphasis on wellness, preventive care and disease management close to home. STPH is a self-supporting not-for-profit community hospital; it receives no tax funding. STPH.org