Everyone gets angry from time to time. There’s no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed of it; anger is a natural human response to something we don’t like, fear, or frustration. Anger is a healthy emotion that alerts us to danger and helps us respond accordingly.
We all have moments when we are mad at something or someone, either because of our actions or the actions of others.
It’s easy for these angry feelings to spiral out of control. If left unchecked, small eruptions can grow into cauldrons of rage that destroy relationships with friends and family members, wreak havoc on your work performance, and leave you feeling miserable daily.
It's normal to feel angry from time to time. Anger is a natural human emotion. But when anger gets out of control, it can lead to problems. It might make you say or do things you regret later. It can damage your relationships and hurt the people you care about.
If you're struggling with controlling anger, don't suffer in silence. You can do things to manage your emotions and stay in control. With a little effort, you can get your anger under control and live a happier, healthier life.
What Is The Root Cause Of Your Anger?
The first step in dealing with your anger is trying to understand its root cause. Why are you feeling angry in the first place? What event or situation sparked these feelings? The more you can understand the source of your anger, the easier it will be to deal with it.
A helpful exercise for this is to write down the events that led up to your anger. This can help you identify what sparked it and, more importantly, what might keep it going. Once you know the root cause of your anger, you can start to look for ways to resolve it.
Warning Signs
Warning signs that your anger may be out of control or on the way to becoming a bigger problem may include:
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Losing your temper regularly
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Saying and doing things you regret when you're angry
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Expressing anger in an abusive or violent way
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Having problems at work, home, or school because of your anger
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Having difficulty sleeping or eating because you're so angry
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Finding yourself increasingly irritable with strangers in public (while shopping or driving, or attending large public events)
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Aggressive driving in response to drivers who make mistakes or who drive aggressively
If you're experiencing any of these warning signs, getting help is essential. Uncontrolled anger can damage your health, both physically and emotionally.
You should also be aware of physical warning signs that your anger is out of control. These can include:
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Clenching your fists or grinding your teeth
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Feeling flushed or sweating
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Having a rapid heart rate
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Having trouble breathing
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Feeling like you might explode
So, How Can You Stop Your Anger From Taking Over?
Another way to keep your anger from getting out of control is to practice some calming techniques to help ground yourself during stress or anger. There are many different ways to do this, but below are a few of the best ones.
Breathing And Relaxation Exercises
TTaking a few minutes to focus on your breathing can help to calm your mind, reduce stress, and bring your emotions back into balance. A few simple breathing exercises can even help you fall asleep more quickly when you’re having trouble sleeping due to anger-induced insomnia. Some people find it more helpful to change where and how they sit at this time, close their eyes, and use various pleasant memories or images to make the breathing exercise more effective.
Journaling
You don’t have to be a writer to reap the benefits of journaling. This is an excellent way to get your thoughts and feelings out of your head and onto paper. When you write about your experiences, you can look at them objectively and gain a new perspective.
Journaling is great for dealing with anger, but there are many other ways to channel your emotions. Writing a letter to someone you’re mad at is a great way to release your emotions, but it’s important to remember that throwing an angry letter in their mailbox isn’t healthy.
Go For A Run Or A Long Walk
Exercising is one of the best and easiest ways to relieve stress and anger. When you’re angry, exercise is a great way to get your feelings out of your head and into your body. It’s also a great way to get some energy out of your system so you can return to the situation with a clearer head.
One of the best ways to deal with anger and stress through exercise is to do something that gets your heart rate pumping and gets you breathing hard. Spinning, biking, and hiking are great for this. Don’t worry about hitting the gym when you’re feeling angry.
Sometimes exercise is best done alone, without the added stress of feeling like everyone is watching you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your anger, it’s a good idea to get out of the house and go for a walk or jog.
And if you tend to sabotage yourself with “all or nothing” type thinking, remember that even 10-15 minutes will help and studies show most people will engage in exercise longer if they make their target time low, just to get started.
Take A Minute To Recognize What’s Making You Angry
During an episode of anger, it can be hard to see clearly, but taking a few moments to reflect on the situation can help you to see the situation more clearly.
Ask yourself: What am I furious about? What is this person or situation doing to anger me? Does the person or situation remind you of something that happened to you previously that was painful? Is that memory fueling more emotion into the current anger? You might be surprised that you’re angry about something entirely different than you thought.
Or, by taking a step back and looking at the situation from a new angle, you might be able to see a way out of the anger you didn’t see before.
Sometimes, it’s hard to see past your own emotions and desires. Taking a few moments to clear your head can help you to see the situation more clearly.
Identify The Behavior That Makes You Angry And Change It
Researchers have found that the best way to deal with anger is to face it head-on and come to terms with it. They say that denial and repression often worsen bad emotions, so the best way to overcome a bad feeling or express anger is to confront your fears and misbehaviors.
So, if you’re angry with your partner for leaving the dishes in the sink, try to ignore the dishes and look at the behavior that’s making you angry. Perhaps you’re mad because you’ve had a stressful day at work, or you’re mad because your partner isn’t helping you out when you need it. Once you’ve identified the behavior, you can calmly talk to your partner about what you’re feeling.
Find Healthy Ways To Channel Your Anger
Expressing anger in a healthy, productive way is key to managing difficult emotions.
Even though it’s essential to confront your anger and deal with the root cause, it’s also important to channel your emotions healthily.
Being healthy isn’t just about eating right and exercising. It also includes healthily dealing with your emotions. There are a few different ways to do this:
Meditation
Meditation isn’t just for Buddhists. This is a great way to clear your head and focus on your emotions healthily. Studies have shown that meditation can reduce anger and stress and improve your overall mental and physical health. Meditation is a practice, so remember to start out with realistic expectations.
Exercise To Manage Your Anger
Exercising is a great way to manage your anger, plus it’s healthy for your heart, muscles, and brain. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, chemicals that make you feel happy and relaxed.
If you’re angry, try going for a walk, riding a bike, or lifting weights. Exercise works best when you do it in the early stages of anger, so it’s best to do it when you first realize you’re angry, or even better when you are noticing irritability and simmering.
Exercising will help you calm down and think more clearly, which can help you manage your anger and work through your emotions. This not only helps you manage your anger, but it also helps manage your stress and improves your mental health. Working out regularly can help prevent depression and improve your mood.
Exercising can also help you sleep better, which can also help you manage your anger and stress. Getting a better night’s sleep can help you feel better, both mentally and physically.
Avoid Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
When you’re angry, it can be easy to turn to destructive behaviors for ways to cope with those feelings. Many people hit the bottle and start drinking heavily, for example, or turn to drugs or other substances to relieve their anger and frustration.
Other people may turn to gambling, eating disorders, or other potentially harmful activities to try and keep the anger at bay. If you notice yourself turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms, it’s important to try and stop and reassess the situation.
Seek Professional Help If Necessary
If you’re dealing with an extreme anger issue, you may have an anger management problem. It’s also possible that there’s something more going on, like mental health issues such as depression or anxiety or even a substance use disorder.
When mild anger issues become frequent or occasional flare-ups turn into an uncontrollable rage, it’s a good idea to seek professional help.
You can talk to your doctor or licensed mental health professional about your anger issues and see if they recommend any therapy or anger management program to help you better control your emotions. However, you don’t want to wait until your anger issues are causing you serious problems to seek help.
Anger management classes may also be a good idea. These classes can be very effective in helping you understand your anger and how to deal with it healthily.
Substance abuse, mental health problems, and other issues can all contribute to anger, so getting help is crucial if you think you have a problem.
Conclusion
These anger management strategies can help you control your emotions and manage difficult situations in a healthy way.
The best way to deal with anger is to confront it head-on, understand its root cause, and find healthy ways to channel your emotions. When angry, it’s important to take a step back from the situation and calm yourself down. And there is no shame in seeking help if you aren’t succeeding at using some of the straightforward ideas presented in this blog
Once you’re calm enough to think clearly, you can confront the situation head-on and come to terms with your feelings. And most importantly, you can regain control of your emotions again.
