How to Keep Your Anger Under Control
We all deal with anger at one time or another, and learning how to keep your anger under control can be very challenging.
The physical sensations that come with anger and frustration are intense and can seem extremely overwhelming.
Some people have difficulty expressing themselves rationally during moments like these.
This can result in conflict with others that might end with consequences like losing friends, romantic relationships, or even your job.
As hard as I’ve tried I’m yet to think of a situation where getting angry is the best solution.
But keeping it under control and expressing yourself more effectively can really help you maintain healthy, long-lasting relationships with other people.
Here are a few tips to help you keep your cool.
Find the Source of Your Anger
Anger is our body’s natural response to danger.
It is helpful because it lets us know when we need to protect ourselves against harm.
The source of anger is usually fear or something occurring that’s against your core values.
One of the best ways to control anger is to ask yourself what it is you are afraid of, and try to solve the problem calmly.
Express Yourself
Bottling anger can be dangerous because doing so can cause pent up feelings to emerge at inopportune moments and cause volcano like eruptions.
Instead of stifling your feelings, find a way to express them.
Sometimes just writing it down can help you release anger and frustrations without causing conflict with others.
Maybe write a letter to the person you feel has wronged you and then ceremoniously shred or burn it and allow those feelings to be released.
Stop and Think Before You React
Bottling your feelings is not a healthy way to deal with anger.
But neither is reacting to every situation without any forethought.
The oldest trick in the book is still the best.
Stop, take a deep breath, count to ten, and then deal with the problem after you have your initial reaction under control and you’ve had time to question whether or not you really need to be angry.
Taking just a few seconds can make a world of difference when it comes to being able to think rationally.
You are only human, and getting angry happens to even the most rational people.
But if you use these tips correctly, you can find yourself keeping your cool more easily.