Anger is truly a great vice. Losing our temper, getting angry, or simply an inability to keep our emotions in check can lead to problems in both our personal and professional lives. Often those who are unable to control their temper end up hurting their relationships and doing a good deal of harm to themselves. Here are some super simple yet effective ways to control your anger and stop yourself from literally flying off the handle.
Go for a run
Often when you are bursting with anger or are literally ready to punch someone’s face or lash out at someone, one of the best anger management techniques is to indulge in some physical activity.
Take some time out and go for a quick run or sweat it out in the gym or hop onto the treadmill. Do some form of physical activity that will get you dripping sweat. Any kind of physical activity will help you during these moments.
Once you have run off your anger you will feel a lot more in control of your emotions. This is one of those tricks that works every single time.
Replace the “You” with an “I”
Usually, the situation escalates when it turns into a blame game. When we get angry, we end up screaming at the other person and putting all the blame on him/ her.
“You did not wash the dishes” or, “You did not finish your homework” or, “You did not pick up the bread.”
Instead, if we just teach our minds to substitute the “You” with an “I”, our anger would automatically come under control. Rather than insisting on how the other person did wrong, it would be much better to concentrate on what you felt. By substituting I in the situation above, the conversation would go something like this.
“I got upset when I saw the piles of dirty dishes stacked up next to the sink,” or “ I am worried that your grades will suffer if your homework assignments are not submitted on time.”
Count Down
Counting Down is one of the simplest but most effective relaxation techniques ever developed to control anger. Remember when you were a child and your mom would ask you to count sleep when you had a hard time falling asleep?
The logic behind this was to distract your brain and relax your mind. This would automatically help you fall into a deep slumber. It’s the same idea behind encouraging you to count down when angry.
Taking a deep breath and counting can help you calm your nerves and distract yourself till you recollect yourself.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This is a technique that will help you progressively and gradually relax your muscles by focussing on muscle groups and slowly working your way through them. You have to learn and practice this technique but is of great value in helping you manage your anger.
Repeat a mantra
If you are aware that you are short-tempered or have anger control issues, one of the best techniques to master is to learn a mantra.
The mantra should be words that mean something to you. One good example could be “remember what Mama would do”. These words immediately bring your mother into focus and help you remember how calm and collected she always was.
Your mantra doesn’t even have to be a sentence. It could be just one word, for example, “breathe”. This can serve as a reminder to yourself that breathing in and out will help you relax.
Learning to control our emotions, especially anger, is a journey. Not an easy one, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible.
If you feel like you can’t control it anymore and might need some help, contact us for a session.
