It is ok to feel angry, but it is not ok to be violent

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It is ok to feel angry, but it is not ok to be violent

Europe House marks World Mental Health Day with "Constructive Anger" Workshop

© Copyright: Evropska kuća

To mark World Mental Health Day, Europe House organised a workshop titled "Constructive Anger," led by psychologist Jelena Marković, from Smart Change.

The workshop started with the question: What are emotions, and what does it mean to feel an emotion?

Jelena Marković highlighted that nothing in our experience is random-every emotion has its own logic, including anger.

"There are many situations in which anger can be positive," she emphasised. She also explained that anger rarely appears alone. It is often accompanied by sadness or fear, and it's important to understand the differences between these emotions.

"The logic of sadness is that it arises when something unfortunate happens, and I can't do anything about it. Anger, on the other hand, gives us the impulse to take action," Marković pointed out.

Participants had the opportunity to explore anger and rage as normal human emotions, learning how to express them in a constructive way that does not lead to destruction or harm.

Marković explained that anger is an emotion that should not be suppressed but rather understood and channelled in a way that aids personal development and improves relationships with others.

"We get angry at others, at ourselves, and at things beyond our control. Sometimes we don't get angry when we should. Many people have not learned how to be angry in a healthy and constructive way, nor how to respond to others' anger," she added.

The workshop aimed to raise awareness of the importance of this emotion and to highlight methods for managing it without causing harm to oneself or to others.

World Mental Health Day, is marked each year on 10 October. It serves as a reminder of the importance of taking care of our mental health. It is a call for everyone to pause, listen to themselves, and recognise the value of regularly caring for one's inner peace and emotional well-being.