Taming Your Temper: 5 Useful Tips to Help You Keep Your Anger in Check
We all experience intense anger sometimes. It’s one of the most basic human emotions and manifests differently for each individual.
However, while it’s completely normal for you to feel angry about certain things, you do need to learn how to manage your anger. If left unchecked, it can lead to self-harm, hostility, and even violent behavior.
Here’s how you can keep your anger in control.
Take a Step Back
It’s tempting to lash out in the heat of the moment, letting your anger erupt just as swiftly as it forms. It can be quite difficult to control your rage in those initial moments, increasing the likeliness of you saying or doing something that you’d regret later.
The best thing to do to keep from exploding is stepping away from the situation momentarily until you have your anger in control. Excuse yourself if you’re in a crowd and just take a few moments to calm yourself. This is effective even if you’re alone in a room, with rage bubbling inside you. Disassociate from the angering circumstances for a few minutes until you’ve regained composure.
Take Slow, Deep Breaths
When you’re angry, your breathing becomes shallower. As a result, you breathe faster, which results in your muscles tensing up and your heart rate increasing. This poses health complications, especially to individuals who’re at risk of heart disease.
To prevent this from happening, try box breathing. This is a technique used to relieve stress and improve concentration by encouraging you to relax. It involves taking slow and deep breaths using your diaphragm instead of just the chest so that you’re inhaling from your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Continue this breathing exercise for several moments until your heartbeat is stable and you’re feeling relaxed.
Write It Out
Another great way to keep your anger in check is by writing down what you’re feeling for yourself. This last bit is important as you don’t want to send a long, angry text to your friend or send a curt email to your coworker in haste. Instead, vent out what you’re feeling through your writing but remember that it’s only for your eyes.
Writing it all out helps you see clearly what it is that’s really bothering you. You may not even make coherent sentences at this point, but it helps you calm down and process your emotions. This, then, helps you better articulate your thoughts later on when you’re addressing the relevant person.
Go for a Short Walk
Research has shown that exercise can help with anger management. Even a few minutes of physical activity can help relax your body, release tension, and reduce stress. It also helps calm your nerves and allows you to feel physical as well as psychological relief.
When you feel extremely angry, go out for some fresh air. You can take a walk around the block, go for a run, or even ride your bike to get your limbs moving.
Seek Professional Help
Despite these tactics, learning how to control your anger can be a challenge. There’s no shame in reaching out for help! Through anger management counseling Winder, you can learn new strategies for managing your anger in a healthy way.
At Comprehensive Counseling Services, LLC, we offer various mental illness counseling Winder, including anger and anxiety management. Learn more about our services here.
