Great poets and philosophers of ancient times have said that anger is one’s worst enemy. It is easy to vomit venom but tough to build and garner love. A rude statement made in the heat of the moment can shatter a good bond you share with someone. Since expressing anger is the easiest, we resort to it, often without thinking about the consequences. A short temperament, controlling behavior, long-term emotional suppression, a trivial disagreement, stress, or even irritation, in general, is enough to trigger anger. While expressing anger can temporarily make you feel light, the repercussions of it can reach far beyond repair. To avoid this unnecessary drama, developing a certain command over anger is essential to ensure long-lasting relationships, and anger management is the way forward.
Getting rid of anger has never been easy for anyone, but controlling it and dealing with it the right way has certainly been possible. Those with serious anger management issues might need professional help, but minor anger management issues can be dealt with by all of us with some basic and simple techniques.
Stop Talking, Cut Yourself Out
It’s only natural to speak up aggressively when you are angry, but try to tell yourself to stop talking when you realize you are starting to get angry. Sometimes, it becomes more important to cool yourself down than to shut someone else up. This will nothing but help you. You can always ask for some time to cool down and allow yourself to approach a problem with a much clear and calm mind later.
Breathe
Mindful breathing has proven to be extremely effective in not just tackling anxiety, but also anger. When you breathe in and out, your focus your attention on it and get distracted. This helps the mind to calm down instantly. You can also count numbers in descending order while breathing.
Play a song
Music works like therapy. Plug into your favorite tunes or songs and disconnect with the world till the time your rage doesn’t subside.
Take a break, sit back and shut your eyes
Sometimes anger can become overwhelming to handle. At such times, the mind doesn’t feel like attending to anything. So don’t push yourself to still continue working with such a state of mind. Cut out for a good 15-20 mins, isolate yourself, sit in a closed room with your eyes shut. Meditate reflect on your thoughts and try to come up with solutions.
Call up a friend and vent
Call that one friend who is on your speed dial and vent. Instead of immediately reacting to your anger and taking it out on the person concerned, it is better to call up a close friend and talk it out with them. This way, you won’t risk any relationship and might actually end up receiving some helpful advice from your friend to deal with the situation in hand.
Resort to creative activities
Creative activities that can take your mind off the problems like painting, singing, sewing, cooking or even reading. These activities distract you and also help in clearing your mind.
Watch a short comedy video
There are heaps of stand-up comedy videos available online. All you need to do is hook yourself up to some short ones. You can also watch an episode from your favorite series which will instantly put you in a better mood.
These anger management techniques will always help you in calming down and approach stressful and heated situations with pragmatism. Remember, only a stable and calm mind can think proficiently in the most challenging times thereby yielding viable solutions.
