Anger Management

Emotions are our feelings. Sometimes we are happy & sometimes sad, sometimes angry & upset, sometimes calm & contented. Joy, sorrow, fear, grief, anger, jealousy, love etc are normal human emotions which every individual experiences. These emotions are there in everyone, but how one reacts to the emotions vary from person to person, based on his tolerance level, coping skills, patience etc. Anger is one such emotion, which do us harm if not controlled. One does not have control over his emotions, but has control over his actions.

Anger is a basic emotion which every human being experiences in response to life events or situations. If out of control it may harm in aspect of career, relationships & varied aspects of life, and also brings in feeling of insult, frustrations, disappointment, & other negative feelings within. Try the following measures to control your anger:

1) First realize & acknowledge that you have the anger outburst problem, & stay aware & cautious about it in all situations.

2) Try to understand your own emotions especially those events, situations etc that triggers your anger. Whenever you face any such situations, stay alert & calm, try to avoid it or control it.

3) When you are angry, take a short break, move away from that place if possible, have a cup of tea or coffee etc to calm your mind.

4) Whenever you are feeling angry, try to interrupt the anger cycle in the following way:

a) At that moment do not talk & try to divert yourself & control your anger first. In the state of anger you may say or do things which you may regret later after you calm down.

b) Try to distract your mind by visiting a favorite website, listen a song on your cell phone, do something that comforts you or daydream about an activity of choice etc.

c) Use countdown to distract your mind- start counting backwards from 100 to 1.

d) Use physical relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercise.

e) Use mental relaxation techniques like positive thinking & imagery, where you imagine anything that gives you happiness.

f) Just talk to someone with whom you feel comfortable and relaxed.

g) Take your anger as a humor & laugh it away.

Try till your anger calms down.

5) If any person or situation is triggering your anger repeatedly talk to the concerned person when you are in a calm & relaxed state of mind, or work on solving the problem.

6) Work on increasing the calmness of your mind, so that you do not break down easily in any situation. For that do physical activities like regular exercise, yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercise daily. Sleep adequately & maintain a healthy lifestyle.

7) Avoid substance of abuse like alcohol, cannabis etc, as these substances reduces frustration tolerance & makes the mind restless easily.

8) Try to be good listener & develop good communication skills, as proper communication solves many problems.

9) Learn to assert yourself, express your feelings calmly & directly, without becoming hostile & defensive.

10) Do not try to suppress your anger, but try to solve it. As suppressing anger leads to anxiety, depression, & other detrimental effects on the body within.

   If after trying above also you are not able to control your anger, then seek professional help. Consult a Psychiatrist who will evaluate you & advice you medicines or counseling sessions accordingly.