Home > Anger > 5 Anger Management Techniques to Manage Anger
The need for anger management should always be a priority, in order to stay physically and mentally healthy. You should be able to manage anger in a healthy manner and channel your anger positively.
Anger management is a skill that allows you to recognize and control your anger, take action and deal with it productively. It’s about learning to respond better when angry and calm you down in a matter of minutes. It isn’t about suppression but about the appropriate expression of anger.
5 anger management techniques to help you manage anger
- Identify the root cause of your anger
- Learn to recognise the warning signs
- Practice relaxation techniques
- Don’t hold grudges
- Know when to seek help
- Release anger positively
Identify the root cause of your anger. Why are you getting angry? Are you getting angry often? It’s important to figure out what’s causing your anger in order to learn how to control it. If you’re lashing out and immediately responding with anger due to certain situations, it could be to mask certain other emotions. Understanding your anger is the first step to solving it. This may be harder to do in the moment when you’re actually experiencing anger. So at the end of the day, check in with yourself and reflect on situations that may have made you angry and identify the root cause. It could be a person, a recurring situation, some previous trauma or something internal like lack of sleep, hunger or even stress at home.
Learn to recognize warning signs. It’s a common misconception that anger has a sudden onset and comes with no warning. However, that is untrue and each person has their own personal warning signs. They include clenching of fists, knots in the stomach, restlessness, breathing rapidly or even feeling hot. It’s best to cultivate this habit over time. Get more in tune with your body and understand its reactions and responses to stress and anger. A simple way to tune into your body is meditation and mindfulness which can help manage anger. As a result, you may be able to respond better and effectively control your temper.
Practice relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques such as meditation are a great way to bring balance to your mind and body. If you can quickly calm yourself down and relax when angry, you’ll be able to manage anger with ease. There are a few simple ways to do so:
- Focus on your breathing, by taking deep breaths and allowing your body to regain normalcy.
- Pay attention to how your body is reacting to feeling angry and take some time to notice how it feels. By diverting your attention, your anger may reduce.
- Get some activity. A simple brisk walk or light stretching may help you calm down.
- Listen to calming music or watch a funny movie and find some humour in an angry situation
- Meditate your anger away with simple techniques such as visualisations and gratitude.
You will be able to balance yourself instantly, and over time be able to grow and manage anger better. Learn more about managing anger here.
Don’t hold grudges. Resentment and bitterness is not good for you. Learn to accept and forgive those who have hurt you and you’ll be doing yourself a favour. Don’t let ill will and grudges keep corrode. Forgiveness is a powerful tool, and with forgiveness you can strengthen relationships and find mental peace.
Know when to seek help. Always look to reach out to a loved one and vent your feelings. Talking to a third party will help you gain perspective and understand your anger better. In case you have been struggling with anger for a while and the techniques aren’t helping you, you should seek professional help. Anger management classes and therapy will help you understand yourself, find a safe space and grow as a person.
Release anger positively. This is a simple exercise to help you release anger in a positive manner and be at peace with what is troubling you. Here’s how you can practice it:
- Sit in a comfortable position, with your back upright
- Breathe in and breathe out, 3 times, slightly deeper than normal
- Take a moment to think about what is angering you in the moment
- Picture it vividly, so as to feel the anger but don’t get overwhelmed
- Take a minute to think about it and allow all thoughts to come and go without reacting
- Reflect and observe where in your body you are feeling this anger
- Then, reflect on how this anger is manifesting itself – is it pain, discomfort, itchiness?
- Start to breathe deep again, breathe in the feeling of anger and as you breathe out, relax your body where you can feel this anger
- Do it for 30 seconds and at the end, breathe a sigh of relief as your anger dissipates
- Reflect on how you’re feeling afterwards
This is a simple and healthy way to release anger without reacting and practicing a healthy anger management technique!
The key to anger management and relief is to practice the above skills regularly so as to respond mindfully to anger rather than react blindly.
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