Learn how to cool down when anger starts to rise…
Anger is something that everyone feels from time to time. How to manage anger is key because anger can be used to work through problems but can also be problematic. Understand anger management techniques can help avoid creating situations that may be regrettable or saying things that weren’t meant. Continue reading to learn about our tips on how to control anger.
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Anger Management Techniques and Tips
- Take a Walk… away from the situation. When you are upset, walking away and removing yourself from the situation is a great way to stop yourself from acting or saying something that may be regretted. Taking a walk can also be thought of in another sense of how to control anger. Getting out and taking a walk can help calm down nerves, get the blood flowing and be helpful to calm down the mind and body. This same feeling goes for other types of exercise and managing anger.
- Count: When anger really takes over, take a minute and begin to count down from 100. Taking these few seconds to slow the breathing and heart rate will help the anger release. It’s possible the anger won’t be completely gone but the chances of feeling better are high. Using simple anger management techniques can help save relationships and help individuals learn something about themselves.
- Stop Talking: When it comes to how to manage anger it’s important to understand and know when to stop talking. It’s common for people to want the last word but sometimes having the last word isn’t worth the consequences. By stopping the conversation, nasty words may not come out and this time in silence can give individuals time to collect thoughts. If it seems difficult to stop talking, hold a hand over your mouth or act like your lips are glued shut, may sound silly but it can help.
- Music: Music can be soothing and can allow the mind to travel somewhere else, especially when feeling strong emotions. Using music as one of the anger management techniques can allow individuals to put in headphones or go out to the car and listen to a few of their favorites songs for a bit, before returning to reality.
- Stretching: Although getting down on the floor at work and doing yoga may not be the best practice, regularly stretching can be a great way how to manage anger on a daily basis. Using stretching can help individuals feel emotions and use them in specific ways. If the need to stretch happens at work try neck rolls or shoulder rolls with some simple arm, back, leg stretches to help relieve some of the buildup.
- Empathy: Practice empathy. Empathy can allow individuals to see through the other person’s eyes and see situations from another perspective. When it comes to how to control anger, trying to feel what someone else feels can help individuals gain a different and new understanding of the situation and may lessen the anger.
- Rehearse: How to control anger also goes along with knowing the right things to say. If a situation has occurred where certain things need to be talked about, rehearsing responses are a good idea. Speak to someone in confidence about the response and receive input, this also allows for various situations and outcomes
- Write: Writing down emotions can help with how to manage anger. It’s even possible to write a letter to the person that has triggered the anger expressing all of the feelings. A day later go back and reflect on the letter and it’s possible that the anger may be viewed in a new light. This doesn’t mean that the letter needs to be sent but it can be a useful outlet to release anger in the moment.
As stated in the beginning, anger is normal but allowing it to change relationships is not. If you notice that you or a loved one is having frequent anger outbursts and it is changing relationships, speak to a doctor about what’s going on. Not everything has to be dealt with alone.