It is your prerogative to feel angry, but what is more important is what you use it for or do with it. Perhaps, you have heard one of Mark Twain’s sayings, where he compared anger to an acid, which implies that anger can be more harmful to you than whatever it is you feel angry towards.
Most people often have a misconception but anger and anger management. Learning to control your anger doesn’t mean doing away with the anger or never getting angry again. Our lives are full of ups and downs, crest and trough, and at times, it is normal and healthy to feel anger. But what is more important is how you do with the feeling. [1]
Therefore, as an adult, you must understand the signs of anger. Also, you must learn strategies to help ensure your reactions are productive and positive no matter how angry you are.
Certain events trigger our anger response, it’s never the same with everyone. Sometimes it may be a memory or an event. Our bodies and brains, naturally, get angry whenever they feel threatened. At this point, we are in control of what we do with anger – aggression, sarcasm, irritability, and grumpiness. Imagine having all these negativities in you over a long time, it eventually weighs you down.
With that in mind, it becomes necessary to learn how to respond positively to this feeling and here are 10 anger management tips to help control anger easily.
Before Speaking, Think
It is easier to erase a shaded answer when you feel option A is no longer the answer. But, with a word or phrase being said cannot be taken back. And, as such, it is imperative that you take a couple of minutes to put together your thoughts before saying a word you might regret immediately its uttered. Also, taking a few moments allows others involved in the heated moment to collect their views before making statements, they’d regret later.
“Thoughts such as ‘it’s not fair’, or ‘people like that shouldn’t be on the roads’, can make anger worse.” Let these thoughts go and it’ll be easier to calm down. [2]