Anger: we all experience it. It’s a normal human emotion that we all feel from time to time. Often people frustrate you, something goes wrong in the workplace, or your day isn’t going how you planned. This is when it becomes important to learn how to control your anger.
For example, you might have noticed that there comes a point when your anger overcomes you and becomes uncontrollable. This is dangerous, as unchecked anger can threaten your relationships with your friends and family. It has the potential to get you in trouble at your job, especially if you find yourself constantly snapping at everyone or displaying a poor attitude. Still, there are a few things you can do to ensure your anger doesn’t get the best of you.
How Anger Can Affect Life, Work, and Relationships
When your anger gets out of control, it ends up affecting more than just you. Unchecked anger can affect your relationships with your friends and family, leading to arguments, tension, or them not wanting to be around you. Uncontrolled anger at work can also have serious consequences with your coworkers or boss and may put you in danger of losing your job.
Aside from the fact that uncontrolled anger impacts those around you, being angry all the time can have an effect on your own mental health. According to WebMD, diabetes, heart disease, and increased blood pressure are just some of the effects that come with having uncontrolled anger.
Strategies for Controlling Your Anger
The key thing here is not letting anger get the best of us. It’s a human emotion, sure, and we’re all entitled to feeling it. But letting it get out of control is another matter entirely. When you’re in the moment, it seems easy to go off, but try not to.
1. Breathe
When you feel yourself getting overcome with anger, it’s important to take a breather. Pause and center yourself. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for five minutes to recuperate, then handle the situation wisely (more on that later).
Having a quick timeout is an effective way to calm down and assess the situation. Maybe you’ll find you’re not as upset as you thought.
2. Find the Source
Have you ever gotten angry and had a huge argument with someone, then later realized the fight was completely pointless? So… what is really making you angry? Often the things we get upset over aren’t what’s really troubling us.
If you find yourself getting upset over little things that normally wouldn’t bother you, then you may be angry over something else entirely. Find the root of the issue and deal with it.
3. Consider Perspectives
When you’re angry with someone, try to understand their perspective. It’s all too easy to yell at someone and let our anger consume us in the moment. But try to think about what may be behind why someone did or didn’t do something that affected you.
It may have been an honest mistake and they may not have intended to hurt you. Try to empathize with someone else, especially if they are apologetic and explain themselves.
Leading a Calmer Life
Beyond learning to control your anger in the moment, you may be curious how you can incorporate more techniques in your life that would lead to a calmer mindset.
Again, being angry is natural, but there are things you can do if you find yourself constantly getting upset. Use these tips in your everyday life, whether you feel angry or not, in order to handle it better when the emotion arises again.
1. Meditate
Spending at least fifteen to twenty minutes each day meditating can lead to a mindful life. Focus on breathing and thinking peaceful thoughts while not focusing too much on the negative ones. If it helps, you can also repeat a mantra or envision a peaceful setting.
You can also incorporate the breathing exercises you do in meditation during stressful or frustrating moments.
2. Find an Outlet
Channel your anger into something productive. Get creative and take up painting, writing, or photography. Journal or draw out your feelings. Maybe try physical activities by going for a walk or heading to the gym. These are just a few ways to take your negative emotions and turn them into something positive and constructive.
3. Handle it Wisely
Believe it or not, sometimes your anger is justified. Often situations come up where expressing your anger or dissatisfaction is what’s right. In cases like these, where you need to let someone know how you feel, by all means, be angry. But handle it wisely. Resorting to insults or yelling solves nothing and could just lead to an argument in which nothing gets accomplished or resolved.
Instead, clearly express your feelings without using gibes or hurtful remarks. This could just escalate the situation. Let the other person know you’re angry and how they’ve made you feel. Then, work towards a solution.
4. Ask for Help
In the end, if you still need help controlling your anger, it’s okay to seek out professional assistance. Enlist the help of a therapist to help you understand your anger and what you can do about it. You can also seek the support of your family and friends.
Final Thoughts
Learn to recognize when your anger may be going too far and how you can keep it under control. It’s not a bad emotion, but it can sometimes have unfortunate consequences when we don’t manage it.
How do you control your anger? Share your answers with us in the comments!
