Middle-aged men who suppress their anger at work when treated unfairly are up to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or die from heart disease compared to those who express their frustration, according to a new Swedish study. The study, which was published in last month’s Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, confirms what scientists have speculated on for years; bottling up anger is bad for your heart.

The study enrolled 2,755 healthy Swedish men with an average age of 41 between 1992 and 1995. Scientists then tracked them for a decade to compare a range of work and health factors. They found that those who often relied on ‘covert coping’, where they ignored unfair treatment, suffered worse health.

Storing up trouble
Researchers questioned participants about whether they used avoidance tactics, such as walking away from the situation or letting things go without saying anything, and how often. They were also asked if they experienced any physical symptoms as a consequence, such as headaches and whether or not they vented their anger at home.
“It is not good just to walk away after having such a conflict or to swallow one’s feelings,” says study co-author Constanze Leineweber, a psychologist at Stockholm University’s Stress Research Institute.

However, while the study claims that ‘covert coping’ or not expressing your anger has a negative affect on your heart, it doesn’t offer good ways of coping.

Dealing with stress
Stress management trainer John O’Donoghue says that workplace stress is common but can be dealt with effectively.

“When we perceive a threat of any form we actually have a physical reaction, otherwise known as our ‘fight or flight’ reaction,” explains O’Donoghue, whose organisation, LifeHandle, delivers stress management training to groups within the public and private sector.

It’s the heart that suffers
“The problem is that our fight or flight mechanism is only designed to cope with physical threats. This is why our heart starts racing and why all the fats and sugars inside us get dumped into our blood stream. However, in the office, we don’t have a physical outlet, so all these fats floating around the bloodstream end up causing heart disease,” adds O’Donoghue, who also does cognitive behavioural therapy with individuals suffering from stress, anxiety and depression.

With stress-related illness accounting for 43 per cent of absenteeism in Ireland, learning to manage workplace stress is crucial, he says.

Teaching tactics
“We educate the client that they simply don’t have the level of control needed to dictate how others behave. And just because someone is acting against your strong desires doesn‘t make them a bad person.”

O’Donoghue says it’s possible to learn how to moderate our reaction to workplace stress and lessen its importance.

Managing stress
“An important de-stressor is contact with people you trust and it’s very important to learn to manage your leisure time too. A good diet, rest and adequate exercise are also very important parts of managing stress,” he adds.