If you are unable to control your anger, you may find that you say things that you later come to regret, that you rage at your children, that you threaten your coworkers, that you send rash emails, that you suffer health problems, or that you even turn to physical violence.
However, not all problems related to rage are of this magnitude.
Your anger may manifest itself in other ways, such as causing you to waste time thinking about upsetting events, being frustrated while driving, or venting about work.
Do you want to understand five of the most effective ways for managing your anger?
Imagine for a moment that you are dining at a restaurant and you decide to get a cup of coffee. Because of the delay, you are unable to maintain your patience and wait for it.
You are startled to see the waiter suddenly approaching you, and the next thing you know, you notice that the waiter has dropped the coffee directly in front of you.
You have to realize that rage is not something that happens to you; rather, you experience anger; it is not an Identity that you should try to avoid.
It is not the role of human awareness to be determined by circumstances; rather, circumstances should be the product of human consciousness.
Develop a patient mindset and don’t give in to your irrational impulses when you’re angry; instead, train your mind to wait before acting.
What are you going to do now, and isn’t that reason enough for you to be upset with him? You can use these effective tactics of anger management to control your anger and handle the issue in a better way by pausing for a moment before allowing it to further escalate your temper. Hold on a second.
Anger Management Strategies
There is a consistent body of research that demonstrates that cognitive-behavioral therapies are effective ways to improve anger management.
These interventions call for adjustments to be made to both your thinking and your behavior. They are predicated on the idea that your ideas, feelings, and actions are all intertwined and interrelated to one another.
Your ideas and actions can either increase or decrease the intensity of your feelings.
Therefore, if you want to move away from an angry emotional state, you can modify both what you’re thinking about and what you’re doing at the same time.
If you deprive yourself of fuel, the fire that burns within you will begin to die down, and you will experience a sense of tranquility.
The following is a list of seven tactics that you should consider incorporating into your plan for anger control. These resources are intended to assist you in better managing and controlling your anger.
“Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.” ~ Chérie Carter~Scott.
1. Maintain Your Silence And Count To Ten(0 to 10)
If you’re truly irrational, try counting backward from ten to one. While you are counting, you will become aware that your breathing is becoming more controlled and that your level of rage is diminishing. Now, this is going to be useful in two different ways: Two good things will happen as a result of this delay: first, the waiter will have time to quickly clean up the mess and bring you another drink, and second, you will have time to collect your thoughts and feel less angry.
“‘I lose my temper, but it’s all over in a minute,’ said the student. ‘So is the hydrogen bomb,’ I replied. ‘But think of the damage it produces!'” ~ George Sweeting.
2. Take Control of Your Thoughts
Your angry thoughts just serve to make you angrier. To the point of having thoughts such as, “I can’t tolerate it.
Your level of annoyance will build as you continue to repeat phrases like “This traffic jam is going to destroy everything.”
You should try to rephrase your thoughts whenever you find yourself thinking about things that make you angrier.
Consider the reality of the situation instead by stating something like, “There are millions of cars on the road every single day.” There may be occasions when there is heavy congestion.
You may find it easier to maintain your composure if you keep your attention on the facts, rather than making dire prognostications or engaging in skewed exaggeration.
You might also try coming up with a mantra that you can repeat to yourself to drown out the ideas that are contributing to your rage. Saying, “I’m OK. Maintain your composure,” or “Not useful, “repeating anything will assist you to minimize or reduce the number of times you have furious thoughts.
“There’s nothing wrong with anger provided you use it constructively.” ~ Wayne Dyer.
3. Stop The Chain Reaction
Just imagine how the waiter would react if you let all of your frustration out on him. Congratulations, you have just become a link in a chain that will never end.
If someone becomes furious with you and you want to become angry with someone else, and then that person becomes angry with him and wants to show his anger to someone else, then the cycle continues.
Just give yourself some space to reflect on the fact that you don’t want to be an insignificant link in this chain that will never end.
So, just break it. Every single person who has ever experienced anger has done so as a direct result of the actions of another person.
Try to look at it from this perspective, it is not in his character to do it. After all, he is just another person in the same boat as you.
Therefore, you should forgive him and not continue to add links to this chain that will never end.
“The best fighter is never angry.” ~ Lao Tzu.
4. Get Over Your Ire With Some Humor
Are you aware that laughing is the best medicine, and it doesn’t cost you anything to do it?
You may certainly let go of your anger with a good chuckle. Imagine being able to forget the waiter or whatever else caused your wrath to rise and instead remembering something that made you laugh out loud.
Yes, you may train yourself to believe something that isn’t true by doing this exercise every time you feel anger toward something or someone.
If you are not already in a public place, you should go to your room and make an effort to chuckle.
The only way to laugh at something is to take your mind off of the thing that is making you irritated and place it instead on something incredibly funny. Create a distribution system based on laughter.
When it comes to anger control, this is one of the most effective practices.
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” ~ Yoda, ‘The Phantom Menace’.
5. Learn More About Your Emotions Take A Deep Breath And Let It Out
It can be helpful to examine what other feelings may be lying dormant behind your anger from time to time and take a moment to do so.
It is common for people to use anger as a defense mechanism to prevent themselves from experiencing more unpleasant feelings, such as shame, grief, or disappointment.
For instance, if someone gives you feedback that is difficult to hear, you can strike out in anger because you are humiliated by what you’ve been told.
Convincing yourself that the other person is wrong for criticizing you is likely to help you feel better in the time because it prevents you from feeling embarrassed. If you can convince yourself that the other person is wrong, you can avoid feeling embarrassed.
However, being aware of the feelings that lie beneath the surface can help you get to the bottom of the issue. After that, you will have the option to choose a suitable course of action.
You might try explaining how the cancellation makes you feel rather than lashing out in anger, for example, if someone cancels plans on you and the underlying emotion you’re feeling is a disappointment because of the cancellation.
If you are sincere about how you feel, it will be much easier for you to find a solution to the problem. In most situations, the only thing that can be accomplished by reacting with fury is to drive others away.
It is quite acceptable to express how you are feeling as long as you do so in an appropriate manner and do not allow yourself to become out of control.
A mature discourse will help you lessen your stress and soothe your emotions, but an outburst will accomplish nothing except making the situation worse.
It is quite beneficial in terms of managing one’s anger. Additionally, it may avoid difficulties in the future. Put yourself in the other person’s position and try to empathize with them.
“Do not let your anger lead to hatred, as you will hurt yourself more than you would the other.” ~ Stephen Richards.
6. Look For Ways To Express Your Creativity
One of the most effective strategies for anger management is to channel one’s rage into some kind of constructive endeavor.
When you’re feeling down, try doing something creative like painting, gardening, or writing poetry. Creative individuals often find inspiration in their feelings.
Put that rage to good use by engaging in an activity that will further your goals.
What you can’t express verbally, you might be able to convey in writing.
Take some notes on how you’re feeling and how you plan to react to the situation. It’s possible that doing this will help you become a better writer.
You may put all of your frustrating thoughts and energy to good use in the gym by working out more effectively and efficiently.
“When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred.” ~ Thomas Jefferson.
7. Recognize the Indicators of Danger
If you’re like some people, you may feel that your fury hits you in an instant.
It’s possible that you can shift from being relaxed to raging in an instant. Even yet, there is a good chance that you will exhibit some warning indications whenever your rage level increases.
If you can recognize them early on, it will be easier for you to take steps to control your anger before it reaches a boiling point.
Consider the bodily warning symptoms of anger that come over you as you feel it coming on.
It’s possible that your heart is beating quicker, or that your face is getting hot. Or you could find that you start to clench your fists.
You might also notice some alterations in your cognitive abilities. Maybe your thoughts are racing, or maybe you start “seeing red.”
If you can recognize your early warning signs, you will have the opportunity to take quick action and avoid yourself from saying or doing things that will result in more severe consequences.
If you train yourself to pay attention to how you are feeling, you will become better at identifying the indicators that something is wrong.
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” ~ Buddha.