A pharmacist recently experienced significant damage to his pharmacy due to a fire set by a disgruntled employee that worked for one of the other businesses in the building 2 doors away.  It caused smoke, odor and soot to travel thru the HVAC vent, the walls, etc.  He has to eradicate his entire prescription inventory and replace everything.  He also has to get rid of cabinet counters, shelves and all of the ceiling tiles.  This will be a 6-week project.  He is under great stress because of this.

The former employee caused a significant inconvenience to not only the person that perhaps they wanted to inconvenience but other businesses and potentially 100s-1000s of customers.  The pharmacist is working hard to somehow make sure his customers still get their critically needed medications on time.  But imagine shockingly finding out you’re not about to get your insulin or biologic medication today and you’re already running short.

My guess is that this person did not really mean to inconvenience so many, and this is where I want to encourage you to do any 5-6 of the following prior to seeking revenge, and I will tell you why further down:

  • Lay down for a while and take some deep long breaths (5-second breaths for 1 minute minimum at a time.  You can do these breaths several times per day).  Take a nap maybe.  Dim the lights and put on some nice soothing or meditative music.  Also if you can, get fantastic sleep (7-8 hours per night) for 7 days in a row.
    • Items to help with sleep: melatonin, CBD, L-theanine, ‘bedtime’ or ‘sleepytime’ tea from the store; relaxing herbs such as valerian, kava kava, passionflower; exercising before sleep may help some; a nice warm 30 minute bath before bed; medication is also an option to consider if you regularly significantly struggle with sleep
    • Your mental state and emotions are typically worsened with inadequate sleep and an inflammatory non-nutritious diet.  They can also be worsened from the after effects of alcohol.  It is not necessarily in your best interest to make revengeful decisions with these factors occurring, especially if they have been occurring for a long time.
  • Get some calming essential oils (lavender, ylang ylang, patchouli, sweet orange, clary sage, sandalwood, frankincense, chamomile, etc). You can rub a couple drops between your hands and then inhale deeply three times, daily.  Put a drop on your finger and apply behind your ears at the bottom too.
  • Drink chamomile tea or other store labeled ‘calming’ or ‘stress relief’ type teas, 1-2 cups per day.
  • Find a punching bag and punch and kick it for 10-30 minutes per day.
  • Meditate 14-45 days straight for an hour each time.
  • Go for a very long run, longer than you normally would if you feel like it. Anger can be energizing and mobilizing, so fitness can help to get that energy out.  The energy of anger is not one to ‘just go with’ feeling good about the ‘high’ it gives you every single time.  Not all ‘highs’ are created equal.  Instead, view and feel it with a sense of awareness of what is occurring.
  • Take up an intense sport if you do not play one already.
  • Go to anger management classes; and/or see a therapist and/or Naturopathic doctor who focuses on mental health; and/or consider medication and/or calming herbs or supplements.  The point is that not just one thing may work, and sometimes it is best to change up what you do to help yourself.
  • Wait a month.

I do not assume that any of this would necessarily stop you from revenge.  I understand that people can really make you mad sometimes and that some sort of justice, or revenge, can seem very indicated to you.  But my hope is that through doing 5-6 of the actions I have mentioned above, your anger will decrease just a few decimal points enough to inspire you to think a bit more wisely about the whole thing, and be considerate of others that you do not mean to affect.

As far as finding a Naturopathic doctor who focuses on mental health, particularly with the dynamics of anger, go to naturopathic.org > find a doctor > use the category ‘mental health’ when searching. Then call those doctors and ask if they can help you with anger.  Your baseline levels of emotions, mental state, and interpretations may not be where a lot of other people’s baselines are, and that is why you may also go past average upset levels when you get upset.  This concept may also resonate with those who experience anxiety or depression.

Keep taking those baths and using the essential oils (for example) if you like them.  You do not need to stop just because your anger goes down.  Enjoy your self-care time regularly.

Photo by Evelyn Chong : https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-standing-in-front-of-mirror-1674060/