At some point, all of us have gotten angry before. I’m sure a lot of us generally deal with it in healthy ways. However, it’s not always easy to deal with anger, especially not for everyone. Sometimes it takes special attention to make sure anger doesn’t cross a line and end with us doing something we’ll regret later. Hopefully today we can get into how you can keep your anger in check and how to control it if needed. Anger is a natural emotion, but like any other it can spiral out of control. Without further ado, let’s go over 10 tips for anger management.
1. Realize Where Your Anger Comes From
The first thing you need to recognize is where your anger comes from. Anger may come from a direct source, but it can also come from something we keep trying to bottle up inside. If it’s a response to a current situation it may be justified. Alternatively, it could be an overreaction to something that scared you or made you feel like you were wronged. For example, if a reckless driver endangers you, that is a perfectly normal and justified reason to get mad. The problem occurs when you let that anger override you and make you do drastic things that aren’t healthy or fitting for the situation.
2. Find An Outlet For Your Emotions
Not every angry outburst needs to end in a negative way. Sometimes, you may be able to deescalate a situation and prevent it from it reaching such a dramatic tipping point. If you find yourself getting angry, try to be constructive with it. For example, if a coworker does something wrong then you can kindly suggest alternatives for the future. If you can’t find a nice or non-destructive way to deal with something, it may be best to deal with it in private or where you won’t disturb someone else. Sometimes physical activity (like working out) can be a perfect outlet for that.
3. Avoid Or Manage Triggers
I understand that not every situation or issue will have a neat solution. However, it may be possible to avoid a lot of those problem situations. If you understand yourself and what triggers your anger, you can work to prevent it. Depending on the scenarios that instigate it, you can just completely avoid them altogether. I know this isn’t a perfect solution, but it’s one that helps. You can’t fix every situation, but if you do your due diligence and avoid things which you know will cause an issue, you’ll be better off in the end for it. Avoidance is not the answer by itself, but removing yourself from negative situations certainly doesn’t hurt.
4. Use A Temporary Distraction
Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, all you need is a distraction. This distraction may help you react after you’ve had a moment to cool down or it may help you react with an extra moment to consider the ramifications of your actions. Either way, a distraction could help. This may actually be one of the best tips when you encounter a problem that you can’t avoid or that makes you get incredibly angry. To put it simply, use a distraction to prevent yourself from doing something you’ll regret later on. A common distraction could even be something like music!
5. Identify Solutions
When you get angry and passionate about something, sometimes there are better ways to use that energy. Instead of focusing on being angry, you can focus on fixing the problem at hand. A lot of times these seemingly complex issues have simple solutions. So, if you have a problem, take a moment and think about it. If there is an easy solution, take it, especially if it avoids unnecessary turmoil. I know not everything will have a neat and tidy solution, but you may surprise yourself. If you do your best to think with an objective mindset, a lot of things are easier to handle and resolve.
6. Use Humor To Defuse The Situation
Another good alternative to anger is responding with some humor. Humor can defuse situations, mitigate anger, and keep the mood light-hearted. On top of that, it can prevent you from boiling over and doing something you shouldn’t. Instead of letting anger override you and cause a spur of the moment decision, try using humor to handle the situation. At the very least, having a light-hearted approach to it can make the problem feel better overall for you.
7. Find A Way To Relax
These days, there are a million hobbies or apps you can use to help yourself relax. Of course, not everyone relaxes in the same way. If possible, find something that helps you relax even when you face high stress situations. It may take some experimentation, but it’s well worth it. Once you have something you can use, it can help you relax whenever you feel like you’re getting too angry. I also want to reiterate another key point though. Anger is not necessarily a problem. The problem is when anger is unjustified, extreme, or you let it go too far. If it is one of those cases, you definitely need to do your best to calm yourself down.
8. Take A Breather
I’ve alluded to this already, but sometimes you just need to take a step back. There are a lot of situations where it’s easy to get too angry too fast, and it’s not healthy for anyone. In the cases where you’re too heated, it may be best to just step away. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to just avoid the problem and never deal with it. Instead, the purpose is to let you cool down so you can handle it more appropriately, with maturity. In my opinion, taking a breather can make a world of difference and is usually all you need.
9. Find A Way To Vent
As I said earlier, sometimes you need an outlet. If you have a friend willing to do it, venting out your frustrations to them can be a healthier way of dealing with your anger. I know it’s surprising to a lot of people, but having someone just listening to your issues can make them much easier to deal with. For a lot of people, they don’t even need advice. Just having a friend’s ear can make a world of difference.
However, don’t abuse a friend’s good will. Don’t use their support as a crutch. Appreciate them being able to (and their willingness to) help you in this way, but don’t make it the norm. Save it for specific issues or dire emergencies. That way your friend doesn’t feel like they’re being taken advantage of and it isn’t too frequent.
10. Seek Help
Last, but not least, when you’re dealing with anger it is good to know when to seek help. You don’t always need help for minor problems, but when it’s overwhelming you may realize you can’t handle it. Everyone has their problems. It isn’t a sign of weakness to admit you need help and get it. Rather, it’s a sign of weakness when you need help and refuse to get it. If your anger issues are getting out of hand, and are potentially dangerous, get professional help.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed the article and it helped you mitigate some anger issues. If you have any tips or questions, be sure to leave your thoughts in a comment. For more content like this, and a free budgeting template and financial goals worksheet, be sure to sign up for the Bitter to Richer newsletter.
