Anger is a negative emotion that crushes well-being and leads to depression, dysfunction and way too many Krispy Kremes. And, yet, we all lead complicated lives, and anger is unavoidable.

How do you deal with your anger?

That's the question for today, when so many Americans are furious about the unfolding drama surrounding the nominee for the Supreme Court and the woman who is accusing him of sexual assault.

You may call it the Politics of Rage. I call it a teachable moment because we are living in highly charged times and knowing how to handle your own anger is crucial if you want to live a calmer, healthier, less chaotic life.

In the heart-stopping Ford-Kavanaugh hearing and aftermath — now tearing this country apart — we have two people with very good reasons to be angry, but they handled it in wildly different ways.

In his testimony, Judge Brett Kavanaugh was seething, belligerent, defensive: "I'm telling the truth! I am innocent!" he told the committee, raising his voice, not to mention his blood pressure, his levels of cortisol and adrenaline, all adding to his stress, his volatility.

Kavanaugh blamed the Democrats and a conspiracy of liberals for his troubles. He was the very definition of a rageaholic. Angry! Hostile! Bullying! And it showed in his clenched jaw, his furled brow, his wiggling nose.

Ford took a different path in her testimony, and it's a good thing she did because we know what happens to women who rage and fume and cry. Unlike men, who are praised for righteous anger, women are often discounted and ridiculed, called "hysterical" for being unable to control their emotions.

Ford's emotions were on full display in her testimony — her fear, her need for approval, her vivid recollection of what happened to her that night — but she has transformed her anger into supremely meaningful action.

She was calm and focused and came across as authentic and believable, even to conservatives disinclined to believe her, even to the president. When Ford asked for a little caffeine, please, if it's okay, when she told us she was terrified, she showed her vulnerability, her deep desire to cooperate. And that turned out to be part of her strength, her effectiveness.

So I ask, dear reader, how are you at handling anger? Exercise, meditation and dark chocolate are all good strategies, but consider these, too:

BECOME AWARE. When Christine Ford told us her brain was tired, that she needed some caffeine, she was showing us how in tune she is with the physical signs of stress. She has a Ph.D. in psychology. She knows this stuff. The point is that you can know it, too.

If you learn to sense when your body goes into fight-or-flight response — tense muscles, racing heart, aggressiveness — you can switch gears, count to 10 and calm yourself down. (I wish she hadn't done it with a Coke, but no one's perfect.)

—BREATHE DEEPLY. Calming down means going from your knee-jerk fight-or-flight reaction — the sympathetic nervous system — to the "rest and digest" reaction —the parasympathetic nervous system. If they're not in balance, your well-being suffers.

One way to make that anger-melting shift is to simply stop reacting and start breathing, deeply and fully. Inhale to a count of four, hold for four beats, exhale to a count of four. And be sure you're breathing from your diaphragm, not your chest. If you don't know where your diaphragm is, please stay after class.

—GO TO YOUR MANTRA. Next time you feel yourself getting angry, repeat a word or phrase that has meaning for you, that puts your body and mind at ease. It doesn't have to be in Sanskrit. You might say "chill" or "take it easy." In my family, we say, "All is well."

—USE YOUR ANGER. Managing your anger doesn't mean you ignore it, swallow it or repress it. When Ana Maria Archila and Maria Gallagher spoke their truth about sexual violence to Sen. Jeff Flake in the elevator — minutes before he decided to call for an FBI investigation — they were transforming their anger into the courage to seize the moment.

How can you transform your anger and seize the moment in these days of rage? Vote in the 2018 midterm elections.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL.

"First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." — Mahatma Gandhi

Marilynn Preston is the author of "Energy Express," America's longest-running healthy lifestyle column. Her new book "All Is Well: The Art {and Science} of Personal Well-Being" is available now on Amazon and elsewhere. Visit Creators Publishing at creators.com/books/all-is-well to learn more. For more on personal well-being, visit www.MarilynnPreston.com.