People who struggle to control their rage may do anything from say something they later regret to yell at their children, threaten their coworkers, or send careless emails to suffer health problems or engage in physical violence. It’s important to note, however, that not all cases of rage disorder are as severe. Instead, your anger might be a waste of time thinking about unpleasant events, getting annoyed in traffic, or complaining about your job.
You don’t have to avoid getting angry to be able to control your anger. Learning how to deal with and express your anger in healthy and productive ways is the goal here. Anger management is a skill that can be learned by anyone. It doesn’t matter if you think you’ve got your anger under control.
Table of Contents
Why Treat Anger?
If you’ve ever been annoyed, you’ve experienced anger. Anger isn’t just a “negative emotion,” but it can also be a positive one. For example, a person’s angry feelings could inspire him/her to stand up for someone else, which could lead to a change in society.
Anger can lead to aggressive behaviour, such as yelling at someone or damaging property, if it is not managed. In addition to causing you to withdraw from the outside world, feeling angry can also have a negative impact on your physical and mental health.
Anger can be harmful to one’s health, mental well-being, and social interactions if it is expressed in unhealthy ways or is experienced too frequently or intensely. As a result, learning effective methods for controlling your rage can be a boon to your emotional well-being.
Approaches to Controlling Anger
Anger management can be improved with cognitive behavioural interventions, which have been shown time and time again to be effective.
These interventions are aimed at altering your mentality as well as your behaviour. Thought, feeling, and behaviour are all intertwined in these programmes.
Your thoughts and actions have the power to either fuel or diminish your emotions. For example, if you want to change your emotional state, you can alter your thoughts and actions. As your supply of fuel diminishes, you’ll notice a reduction in your level of anxiety.
The following are a number of ways that you can incorporate anger management into your daily routine. Anger management and control is made easier with the aid of these tools.
Identify the triggers
Identify the things that cause you to lose your cool and avoid them in the future. Some of the things that can make you lose your cool are long lines, traffic jams, snarky remarks, or simply being exhausted.
Anger is a natural response to many situations, but understanding what makes you lash out can help you better prepare for future situations.
It’s possible to alter your daily routine to better cope with stress. It’s also a good idea to learn some methods for controlling your anger in advance of encountering situations that usually make you angry. You can lengthen your fuse by doing these things, so that a single frustrating experience will not set you off.
Take a look at your rage
Consider whether your anger is a friend or a foe before taking action to soothe it. Experiencing anger can be beneficial if you are witnessing a violation of someone else’s rights or are in a dangerous situation.
Instead of attempting to alter your emotional state, you might try to alter the circumstances. It’s possible that your anger could be a sign that something else needs to change, like an emotionally abusive relationship or a toxic friendship.
Your anger, on the other hand, may be your worst enemy if it’s causing you stress or harming your personal relationships. Anger can also cause you to feel out of control and regret your words or actions later. It’s a good idea to practise self-control and emotional management in these kinds of situations.
Recognize the warning signs
It’s common for people to feel like their anger hits them all at once. In the blink of an eye, you may have gone from a state of calm to rage. Even if you don’t notice these signs, it’s still a good idea to pay attention to them. If you catch them early enough, you have a better chance of controlling your rage before it gets out of control.
Take a moment to think about the physical signs of your own anger. It’s possible that your heart is racing or that your face is getting warm. You could also start clenching your fists. Cognitive changes may also occur. If this happens, it’s possible that your thoughts become agitated or that you begin to “see red.”
It is possible to prevent yourself from doing or saying things that could lead to bigger problems if you are aware of your own warning signs. Recognizing the warning signs becomes easier if you pay attention to your feelings.
Take a Breather
Staying in an unhealthy situation and trying to win the argument will only make you more angry. If you can, try to get out of the situation as soon as possible when you’re feeling agitated.
Take a break when things get too heated. Don’t stay in a meeting if you’re on the verge of bursting into flames. If your children are making you angry, take a walk. Taking a few minutes to yourself can help you relax your mind and body.
Explain that you’re not trying to avoid difficult topics, but that you’re working on controlling your anger when you need to take a break. When you’re enraged, it’s impossible to have a productive discussion or resolve a disagreement. When you’ve calmed down, you can rejoin the conversation or address the issue again.
Setting a date and time for a follow-up discussion can be helpful. As a result, the person you’re talking to feels more confident that the issue will be addressed at a later date.
Release energy
Anger gives you a burst of vigour and vitality. Engaging in physical activity is a great way to make use of that energy boost. Workouts, whether they’re brisk walks or gym sessions, can help relieve stress.
Decompressing by exercising on a regular basis also helps. Aerobic exercise can help reduce stress, which may improve your ability to deal with frustration. In addition, exercising helps you to clear your head and relax your body. After a long run or a gruelling workout, you may have a better understanding of what was bothering you.
Do not overthink
Anger is fueled by ruminating about a difficult situation. For example, reliving a bad day at work all night will only serve to keep you in a state of resentment.
Explain that you’re not trying to avoid difficult topics, but that you’re working on controlling your anger when you need to take a break. When you’re enraged, it’s impossible to have a productive discussion or resolve a disagreement. When you’ve calmed down, you can rejoin the conversation or address the issue again.
Setting a date and time for a follow-up discussion can be helpful. As a result, the person you’re talking to feels more confident that the issue will be addressed at a later date.
Control Your Own Mindset
Anger is fueled by thoughts of resentment. Make a conscious effort to reframe your thoughts when you find yourself thinking about things that make you angry. You may also want to create a mantra that you can recite in order to block out the thoughts that are causing you to become irate.
Talk to a friend
Talking through a problem or expressing your emotions with someone who makes you feel at ease may be beneficial. A cautionary tale about venting: It can backfire. Anger at your boss, disapproval of a coworker or a perceived injustice may be fueled by you complaining about it. It’s a common misconception that in order to feel better, you need to let out your frustrations and frustrations.
In contrast, research shows that you don’t need to “burst into tears.” For example, slamming things when you’re angry may actually make you more angry. It’s important to exercise caution when employing this coping strategy.
Be sure to work on finding a solution or lessening your anger with a friend, too, rather than just venting. You shouldn’t rely on them as a sounding board for your every whim. It’s possible that talking about something other than the situation that’s making you angry is the best way to use this strategy.