8 Effective Tips to Help Control Your Anger
Anger is one of the most vivid emotions we feel. Through anger, we express our dissatisfaction, differences, and pain. It tells us that something that we perceive as unfair, frustrating, or annoying has just happened. However, sometimes we can also feel trapped with those feelings. If sometimes the expression of our anger ultimately resolves a conflict or at least initiates communication, other times it is so intense and irritating that it gets out of control. Here are some tips to help you manage your anger.
1) Analyze the Situation
To understand how and why you got angry, you should first analyze the situation. Go back in time: what happened before you felt that rage? By carrying out this exercise, you will understand the mechanism of accumulation of distinct or linked events, which led to getting upset and lose control. Anger is often only the consequence of other events, which your mind and body translate into emotions.
2) Take Action Before It’s Too Late
Once that you know what triggered your anger, you’ve achieved a big step! The second step is not to endure it, but to act before it overwhelms you. There are several ways of doing this:
- If you feel angry, but you have not yet blown up: expel it! Some therapists explain that it is normal to have feelings like wanting to beat up someone when you’re frustrated, but as it is prohibited, it is necessary to use other tactics. One recommends smashing … a cushion! Others, more simply, to hit a punching bag. You will notice, it does a lot of good, especially when you’re angry!
- Another more practical solution is sports. Yes, any sport, which mobilizes energy will help to release endorphins, a chemical produced by the body to relieve stress and pain. Hence, this will help to calm you down.
- A technique which is also recommended by many therapists is writing. Yes, write about what is causing your anger. Expel what you have on your heart on a sheet of paper, a newspaper, in a note on your smartphone, in an email that you will send only to yourself. Writing is liberating and provides relief. It’s a way to get rid of a burden. You will free your brain of everything that clutters and ruins your life by expressing your emotions on paper. It simply helps you to feel better and get rid of negative thoughts that are eating you up!
3) Talk to Someone
Think about telling someone you trust how you feel. Just talking to someone can help ease the intense feelings and help others understand your situation. Besides, verbalizing can help you know what’s going on more quickly than if you keep your thoughts and feelings inside.
4) Repeat Calming Phrases
There is nothing magical that happens when you repeat calming or motivating phrases. The effect is not instantaneous but progressive. Look at the sentences as reminders that you’re going to overcome this emotional storm. Affirmations like “It’s only a moment …”, “I can find a solution. “, “It will pass. ยป, etc., will allow you to distance yourself from what is happening and put things into perspective.
5) Humour
Humour is a great way to manage anger issues. It calms down the situation and lowers the tension between any frustrated person. Humour helps the body relax, which makes it hard to maintain an aggressive attitude.
6) Yoga
Trying yoga to control your anger is a good idea. Some postures and breathing exercises help to release tension better than any other activities. Breathing plays a central role in the practice of yoga. Focusing on your breath before, during and after the yoga session can effectively combat anger as well as other negative emotions.
7) Forgive and Eventually Forget
Forgiveness is one of the most potent antidotes for resentment. Allowing anger and other negative thoughts and feelings to distort and disrupt daily life only leads to bitterness, anger, and pessimism. If you can forgive someone who triggered these emotions, you will both learn a valuable lesson. For you, the ability to forgive shows that no one can control your state of mind. For the person who provoked your anger, their guilt may be enough to remind them that they did something wrong and should not repeat it.
8) Avoid Situations That Trigger Your Anger
Now that you know how to detect what’s triggering your anger, and how to control it, the next step is to get away from the triggers. Whether it’s a place, a person, or a situation annoying you, you have the power to say no. You should not go to that specific place, and you should not see this person, or put yourself in such a situation again. This is called an avoidance strategy. However, if despite everything, you have to undergo one of these risky situations, share what causes this anger with someone you trust, who can help you with kind words, or by changing your mind.
If you’re still having difficulties controlling your anger, the team at Andrew McClymont Psychotherapy offers a range of techniques and strategies that can help you stay calm even in the toughest situations. Their qualified psychotherapists aim at showing you how to resolve tense situations without resorting to anger. Contact them today!
