5 Healthy Ways to React to Anger
We all experience anger from time to time, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. But, letting anger control your life can leave you feeling stressed out and upset all the time. Anger is a normal and healthy emotion, but it is crucial that you learn to respond to this strong emotion in healthy, positive ways.
Uncontrolled anger leads to mental and physical health problems, can harm your relationships with others, and can even land you in legal trouble, if you are not careful. Here are five healthy ways to respond to anger and get it under control.
#1. Think Before You Act
Anger can cause you to react unproductively in the heat of the moment. But often, just taking a beat or two before you speak or behave can help you see past the red and through to a better solution. The adage of “count to ten” really does work. When you find yourself feeling really upset, take a deep breath, and as you exhale, consider how you will respond more neutrally. Give yourself a minute to review how your words or actions may not make the situation better if you choose to react from an angry place. Take a minute before reacting, and you will thank yourself for it later.#2. Learn More Productive Ways to Express How You Feel
It is okay to feel frustrated or concerned. It is how you explain this to other people that can get you into hot water if you are not careful. Learn to be more non confrontational while still being an assertive advocate for yourself. State your concerns clearly and listen to others’ responses. Ask more questions than you make demands. Use statements that make it clear how the situation is untenable for you and ask for solutions that offer a compromise for you both. Be prepared to make concessions when necessary.#3. Manage Your Stress
One of the reasons anger can start to take over is because you are under a lot of stress. Allowing stress to build up just cause your fuse to become shorter. The more stressed you are, the less it takes to spark your rage. Getting more exercise, eating healthy foods, and getting plenty of sleep are all great ways to help manage your stress and allow you to feel less angry. When you feel yourself getting upset, take a walk to calm down or spend a little time doing something you enjoy to take your mind off your emotions. Getting your anger under control is often simply a matter of getting your stress under control.
#4. Walk Away
It is not just kids who sometimes need a timeout. Adults could use them, too. When you start to feel your anger rising, walk away or remove yourself from the situation. Putting some distance between yourself and the other person or situation gives you time to calm down and think of more productive solutions. It also allows you to feel more prepared to handle confrontation or a difficult conversation if that is what needs to happen. Do not be afraid to call time out when you need it to keep your anger from boiling over.
#5. Make Sure You Know Why You Are Really Angry
Sometimes, we get into arguments only to realize later that what you were fighting about wasn’t really what you were fighting about. If you want to solve your anger management problems, start by getting in touch with what is really causing your anger. Are you blowing your top over insignificant issues because you are upset about something much more significant? Then focus on what has got you most upset, not the nit-picky things you keep arguing about.
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Cassandra Waller |