Overlooking anger management can lead to several negative consequences like straining relationships and deteriorating mental health. Some people resort to violence or develop severe mental health problems when they’re not able to manage their anger in positive ways. Use these strategies to prevent letting anger take control.
Count 10 Seconds Before Anything
The advice “think before you speak” is crucial, especially when you’re angry. More often than not, our emotions will do the talking for us if we let them, and anything we say can affect those around us negatively. A good anger management practice is learning how to keep calm in triggering situations. Consider this the next time you’re feeling anger creep up: take 10 or 100 seconds to think about something else. It might give you enough perspective and peace of mind to avoid a blow-up.
Check Your Warning Signs
By admitting that you’re feeling anger, and by identifying the emotions you feel, it can help to lessen the rage. For example, expressing “I’m angry right now” or “I’m currently feeling frustrated and annoyed” might be the first step in figuring out why you’re mad and how to fix it.
You might experience anger for various reasons. It’s a natural emotional response to some situations, like when you or somebody else is being mistreated. If you’re unsure of why you got mad at someone recently, try thinking back through your day to see what triggered the reaction. If you work on managing your anger. Better understand why you experience anger and what you can do about it so it won’t damage your relationships as much.
Take A Rest
There are many anger management therapies, but one effective method is to take a break. Go to your room and relax, or eat your favorite food. Aromatherapy with essential oils like lavender, ylang ylang, chamomile, and bergamot can also be helpful because they have natural calming properties.
Buy A Stress-Relief Toy
Having a few of these in your bag, car, and room can do wonders to help you stay calm during emotionally charged situations. These toys work by distracting you from the stressful situation at hand, which allows you to take a step back and relax.
Walk
Exercise is a great way to calm down. Try doing some stretching and breathing in some fresh air outside. This will help to calm your nerves and emotions. This is an effective anger management practice that everyone should know about!
Think Of A Good Mantra
Some mantras that can help with anger management are:
“This will pass.”
“It is meant to happen.”
“Let it go.”
Or walk away. It’s impossible to manage a situation calmly and productively when you feel angry. If you notice yourself getting agitated, walk away from the source of your frustration for a bit. Once everyone has had time to cool down, including yourself, it’ll be easier to have a rational discussion or take action.
Play Music
Mellow songs have a calming effect that can improve your mood. If you’re feeling angry, play some mellow music in your car and see if it doesn’t help to dissipate those strong emotions.
Vent It Out
Some people find it helpful to write down their thoughts and feelings in a journal, or to compose a message to the person they are angry with but never send it. Just having this cathartic written outlet can help them feel better without ruining relationships with other people.
Sometimes, writing out your thoughts can help you understand why you’re feeling angry and how to deal with it. Try drafting a letter to someone about what is making you angry, how you’re responding to the situation and how you want to address your feelings. Take a pause before sending it and read back over your letter. This method will enable you to both express your emotions and gain clarity on the situation. You may find that, after writing the letter, your feelings have dissipated and you no longer feel the need to send it. Or, putting your thoughts into words may help you better communicate with the person face-to-face.
Trustworthy people can also make you feel better by listening to your problems and providing their own anger management strategies. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with anger, or someone close to you has a personality disorder, seek professional help from a mental health specialist. Talking openly is beneficial for many reasons.
A Little Science About Anger
Scientists theorize that the brain has been adapting over millions of years to include anger as part of our natural instinct. This allows us to fight threats, compete for resources, and enforce social norms. Anger is a response from the brain’s reward circuit — which is constantly trying to predict future outcomes based on past experiences. When there is a mismatch between expectations and reality, the amygdala (a small region in the brain) sets off an alarm in the form of increased activity.
The experience of anger activates the sympathetic nervous system, preparing the body for physical aggression by releasing stress hormones like adrenaline and testosterone. But whether we actually lash out or not is determined by another area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for things like decision-making and reasoning. This allows us to understand our anger in context and behave in socially acceptable ways most of the time.
Anger has the potential to change how we see and evaluate risks. For example, studies have shown that anger can make us more impulsive and less likely to anticipate negative outcomes. In one study, volunteers who were made to feel angry estimated the chances of suffering heart disease as being lower than those of other volunteers who had been prompted to feel fearful. Therefore, depending on the context, anger might make us brave or reckless.
Final Thoughts
If you can’t control your anger, it will control you and damage your relationships with others. Accept that things won’t always go your way. Anger management is a life skill that can improve the quality of your life and help you get along better with others.
