Happy Monday and happy Labor Day to our US & Canadian readers!

Here’s what you’ll find in this week’s issue:

• 😠 Rage on the brain: Should you make decisions while angry?

• 🧠 How to practice mindfulness with minimal effort.

• 🌊 Diving into TikTok’s latest sea-themed health fad.

• 🪱 Plus, surgeons uncover something extremely WTF in a human brain.

Let’s go.

THIS WEEK’S FEATURE

Seeing Red? What to Know About Making Decisions in the Heat of the Moment

Anger can enhance problem solving abilities for some people, while hindering it for others. So what gives?

Flying off the handle is a universal part of the human condition. Whether provoked by an infuriating headline, a snarky comment or an idiot driver, we all know how it feels to lose our cool. Like me, you probably also know how it feels to make a regrettable decision while in the throes of rage.

However, it may come as a surprise that angry decision-making isn’t always a no-no. I’m super excited to dig into this week’s reader requested story (thanks Jake!) to explore how anger affects decision-making, and share the surprising benefits of this red hot emotion.

Your Brain on Dru— er — Anger

If you’ve ever gone ballistic, you know it affects the way you feel. However, anger affects the way you think, too. When you get mad, you activate both your brain’s emotional center (amygdala) and its cognitive control center (prefrontal cortex).

When anger strikes, your brain’s emotional center lights up while, simultaneously dampening the region responsible for rational thinking and impulse control. This can result in impaired judgment and decision-making – but not always.

See, anger becomes toxic to effective problem-solving when the balance between these two brain regions is disrupted. When it’s in balance, anger actually has some surprising benefits.

Anger: A Catalyst for Effective Problem-Solving?

Self-help gurus, religion and well-meaning loved ones will tell you that anger is a poison to be avoided at all costs. However, constructive anger can serve as a motivational force and help you assert yourself in certain situations.

Constructive anger is when you can keep your anger at a manageable level and channel it into useful problem-solving actions. This is possible when the balance between your brain’s emotional control center and cognitive control center is strong.

Psychologists have found that constructive anger can “help clarify relationship problems, clinch business deals, fuel political agendas and give people a sense of control during uncertain times'', according to the APA.

However, it’s worth mentioning that while moments of anger can be beneficial, when you pair frequent anger with a negative response to said anger, it can have some serious downsides on your health, like heightened inflammation, headaches and even heart disease.

How to Improve Your Response to Anger

When it comes to anger, it’s all about how you react. Use these tips to manage anger & use it to your advantage.

In the heat of the moment? Use this technique to regain control…

• Pause and Reflect: When you start feeling angry, take a moment to pause before reacting. This pause allows your prefrontal cortex to catch up and think about the situation more rationally.

Incorporate these strategies into your overall lifestyle to better manage anger…

• Practice Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness techniques to help you stay calm and reduce the immediate emotional intensity of anger, allowing your prefrontal cortex to regain control.

• Reduce Stress: High levels of stress can make it harder to control anger. Engage in stress-reduction activities like exercise and getting enough sleep.

• Identify Triggers: Learn what makes you angry and try to avoid them (like watching too much news) or prepare for those triggers if they’re unavoidable.

• Seek Professional Help: Consider talking to a therapist who can help you approach anger the right way. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one effective approach for anger management.

So there you have it: anger can be good for decision-making and whether or not it’s useful or detrimental is ultimately up to you. Before you go crush your week, check out the rest of the email.

— JC

📈 (Mental) Health Optimization Tip of the Week

Speaking of mindfulness…

Meditation and yoga aren’t the only way to cultivate it. Use these 3 easy, psychologist-approved mindfulness techniques to overcome anger, tame stress and re-center — anytime, anywhere.

📱 Trending on TikTok #wellnessTok

The trend: Sea moss 🌊 🌿 

From under the sea to your supplement bottle: Sea moss is the latest health fad in the TikTok spotlight. It’s been gaining attention for its supposed health perks – users claim it can boost your immune system and aid in dropping pounds.

While there may be some real benefits from sea moss, there isn’t a lot of science to support weight loss. Regardless, it is safe to ingest at the recommended daily serving, but beware: too much iodine in sea moss can negatively affect your thyroid.

⏯️ Watch it here

Should you jump on the sea moss supplementation train?

❌ Nope, nope, nope 🍊 Probably won’t hurt (but don’t overdo it) ✅  Yeah!

📆 This Week in Wellness

Every week, we scan the web for the good, the bad and the downright intriguing in the world of health and wellness.

😻 The good:

• In this edition of “technology helping mankind”, brain implants are enabling people with paralysis to communicate better than ever before. The implant can record a person’s neural activity when they attempt to speak, and translate it into words on a computer screen. Progress!

👎️ The bad:

• Check your eye drops: The FDA has issued a report stating that two brands of MSM eye drops have been discovered to be contaminated with four types of bacteria. If used, this contamination “could result in minor to serious vision-threatening infection”, so take care.

😱 The WTF:

• Picture this: a patient is hospitalized for abdominal pain and diarrhea. Doctors discover lung and liver irregularities, suspecting a tumor. Astonishingly, they uncover a 3-inch parasitic worm residing in the patient's brain. This isn't a creepy tale; it happened to a 64-year-old Australian woman.

💭 Parting Thought

I like to call it a labor of love.

Shot of Wellness Mission:

We’re hellbent on making expert-backed health info accessible & free of charge. In a world full of misinformation, we bring the skepticism, so you can think of us as your witty, well-informed friend who's got your back on all things health & wellness.

We do this for YOU so if there is something you wanna see covered in a future issue…

👉️ Reply now and let us know

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Until next time ✌️ 

Hi, I’m Jenna, founder of Shot of Wellness. Every week, I curate this newsletter with the goal of helping you optimize your health, focus and wellbeing.

Please Note: This is not medical advice. This content is to be used for informational or educational purposes only. I am not a doctor — I do not even play one on TV. Please consult with a medical professional before undertaking any new diet or exercise regime. Take care!