Anger & Fatigue: A Potential Recipe for Disaster!

Fatigue is symptom of modern life; all of us feel it, some more than others. However, as common place as it is these days, have you ever found yourself wondering just what is this exhausted feeling all about? The Webster’s dictionary (www.webster.com) defines fatigue as "Extreme tiredness, typically resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness." There are many causes for it, work, family, money etc. In fact, per a recent article in Psychology Today (www.psychologytoday.com) it is during these times of extreme fatigue that we are much more likely to let our emotional mind rule us. Consequently, as a result of fatigue, we become too tired and too run down to really think before we act/speak, or care about the damage our angry behavior might cause in the future.

Ironically, as difficult as it may be, it is during these moments of extreme fatigue that we must be most vigilant about thinking our actions through and controlling our emotions. In short, the anger and resentment underlying our fatigue is not a product of a rationale mind, but is instead a purely emotional response to stress resulting from extreme fatigue. As hard as it is to endure, many of the hardships we face today, such as college and paying a mortgage, will make our future a little easier. Emotional

control of our anger response during periods of fatigue may be hard to obtain at first, but conscious effort will soon come as naturally as breathing. With time, patience, and awareness we all can be successful in controlling out anger and redirecting it in positive ways even during periods of extreme fatigue. Although taxing and often overwhelming, don't give up the struggle to succeed in these modern times; ultimately, it will be worth it!