Anger is a normal emotion that every human experiences. There are many instances that provoke us to become angry, such as being caught up in heavy traffic, misunderstanding between a good friend, a child ruining a work presentation for a meeting. If anger is managed in a healthy way, it could be a positive thing for anyone. However, anger may cause health and relationship problems if it is managed poorly.
If one begins to outburst, frustrations and rages will negatively affect the relationship with your family, friends, co-workers, or complete strangers. For most people, particularly those individuals who don’t have role models for anger management when growing up, dealing with anger might be difficult. However, examining the source of anger and applying anger management techniques could help manage one’s temper and achieve a peaceful living and a healthy relationship with the people around. Here are some of the anger management techniques that have proven to be effective in reducing preventing being angry and reducing the intensity of one’s anger.
If you are one of the people who get angry easily and have a hard time tapering it down, follow these tips from the behavioral experts!
Be Aware Of Your Anger
When you are aware that you are angry and specifically angry at or about something, you can deal with it easier. Oftentimes, people become irritable because of stress, sleep disturbances, adverse events, and other contributing factors. There’s a specific reason why you get mad. Once you become more aware of the basis of your anger, as the first step, you can now plan and do something about it. It is useful if you keep an anger journal that will identify the anger patterns and talk it out to a friend or a therapist.
Utilize “I” Statements When Expressing The Problem
This will surely help you avoid putting blame on others, criticizing or involving others, which can make the other party mad or resentful, resulting in tension. For example, say: “I am upset that you left me alone at the grocery without telling me first,” instead of “You should inform me before going somewhere!”
Employ Relaxation Techniques
Applying relaxation skills and de-stressing skills to yourself. This will help you control your temper before you get awry. You can practice deep-breathing exercises, use guided imagery, visualize a relaxing scene, listen to classical music, or repeat a calming phrase such as “Take it easy,” which might help you ease your anger. Other proven strategies to control your temper are doing yoga and writing in a journal.
Do Exercise
Working out can serve as an outlet in releasing your tension and emotions, particularly if you are about to burst out. It will not only ease you from getting mad easily, but it will also make you healthy and fit. If you think you are about to burst out, go for a brisk walk, lift weights, swim, or shoot baskets.
Release Your Anger
It is better to release your frustration rather keeping it within you and continue to ruminate or stew with it. Expressing your irritation in a nonconfrontational way is healthy. When you tend to dwell on situations in the past that make you mad you are putting your emotional health at risk. Solving your problems and releasing your anger in a healthy manner as soon as possible are good ideas and not stewing with it for a period of time.
These are some of the anger management tips you could use in managing your temper problems, and therefore, anger. However, if you think it doesn’t help that much, your anger and uncontrolled irritability might be a sign of an underlying health condition such as a psychological or psychiatric condition. At this point, you should seek your physician’s advice regarding this problem.