Nine Practical Tips To Manage your Anger
We can probably talk for hours on what causes our anger, biological psycholgy of this powerful emotion and am sure you must have experienced this emotion in some shape or form at some point in your life but today we are sharing with you some simple and research based strategies to manage this complex emotion. Also, some exciting news for those who have limited funds and cannot invest in therapy, we have Anger Management course now available for you to share with your family members, friends or for those who you think can benefit from it immensely. Why not give someone this useful gift of personal insight and growth. The best thing is that it is available instantaneosuly and you/ your loved ones can do them at their pace in the comfort of their homes. This robust course has pdf slides, activities and 1.5 hrs of video content ( so not your typical run of the mill lecture).
Now back onto what can we do when we are in the heat of the moment or have been experiencing this intense emotion - well let’s start by recognizing that our AMYGDALA has been hijacked and we cannot suppress this emotion. If we ignore it, it will showup more frequently knowcking on our door, show up unexpectedly like a balloon filled with too much air that will eventually pop up or may be will create some other sort of chaos like stress, anxiety or depression in our life. Check out some of our tips below and let us know if you find them useful:
Start by taking a break and tell yourself ‘ I need to Calm down’. One of our favourite ones is ‘Name it to Tame it’ - Try saying ‘ I am feeling angry, I need a break.’
If you're feeling angry, it's important to take a step back and give yourself time to cool off. This could mean taking a walk, going for a drive, or simply finding a quiet place to sit and relax for a few minutes. Let’s dive further:
Have you considered deep breathing at all? Deep breathing can help you relax and calm your mind. Try taking slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Practice counting 1-10 before responding so that you can build your capacity for response flexibility rather than staying with reactivity.
Use positive self-talk: Try to reframe your thoughts and replace negative self-talk with positive affirmations. For example, instead of thinking "I can't believe how useless they are," try thinking "I'm feeling frustrated right now, but I know that everyone makes mistakes and I can find a way to work through this."
Exercise: Physical activity can help reduce anger and tension. Try going for a run, hitting the gym, or even just stretching to release tension in your body. You can also try hiking, biking, swimming, canoeing or other body based activities. I
Write it down: Sometimes, writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you process them and better understand where your anger is coming from.
Find healthy ways to express your anger: It's important to find healthy ways to express your anger, rather than bottling it up or lashing out at others. This could include talking to a friend or therapist, writing in a journal, or participating in a physical activity like boxing or kickboxing or connecting with nature. When nature is inviting and calming, it can hold space for our emotions.
Practice relaxation techniques: There are many relaxation techniques that can help you manage your anger, such as meditation, yoga, or progressive muscle relaxation.
Seek professional help: If your anger is causing problems in your relationships or daily life, it may be helpful to speak with a mental health professional. A therapist can help you identify the root causes of your anger and develop coping strategies to better manage it. One of our newest team members but a long time practitioner and a mental health clinician, Jashmesh has space to accept new clients.
Learn to forgive: Holding onto grudges and resentment can fuel anger and lead to more negative emotions. Practice forgiveness, both for others and for yourself, as a way to let go of anger and move forward. Afterall, you don’t want accumulation of stress hormones in your body.
Keep a sense of perspective: Try to keep things in perspective and remember that most problems are temporary and can be solved. Remembering this can help you stay calm and focused, rather than getting caught up in anger. We also talk about polyvagal theory in our work that how we can get stuck or stay stuck in sympathetic nervous state and have to develop ventral vagal story line or notice when after angry outbursts we move into collapse/ tired, foggy state which is our dorsal vagal state.
We hope you enjoyed reading this post and will come back and visit for more interesting and useful conversations. Connect with us on Social Media as well. If there are certain topics on which you’d like to hear our views, please drop us a line.
