07 Jun This simple step can halt premenstrual anger mid-rage
Frequently feel anger rise during your premenstrual Week 4—the six days leading up to your period? The likely culprit is plunging estrogen, which reduces patience by disrupting levels of mood-managing chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin and norepinephrine.
So, what can you do the next time something happens to tick you off or someone gets under your skin—and you want stay calm, cool and collected? Try saying a quick prayer for a person you care about who’s in need, such as a friend struggling with an illness.
According to a study in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, this easy step helps your irritation dissolve.(1)
Why? Praying for someone else’s well-being pivots your thoughts away from negativity and toward empathy and love, which steers your mood to a calmer place.
Not religious or spiritual? You don’t have to be for this easy technique to work, the researchers found.
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Sources:
(1) Ryan H. Bremner, Sander L. Koole, Brad J. Bushman, “Pray for Those Who Mistreat You”: Effects of Prayer on Anger and Aggression,” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37 (2011): 830-837.
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