4 Ways to Manage Anger

Anger is an all-consuming emotion at times, even more so now as we deal with new situations. If you don’t get a grip on it, it can affect your quality of life. Anger will damage your relationships and raise your stress levels. If anger is beginning to impact your life, start taking steps to control your emotional state.

Anger is an all-consuming emotion at times, even more so now as we deal with new situations. If you don’t get a grip on it, it can affect your quality of life. Anger will damage your relationships and raise your stress levels. If anger is beginning to impact your life, start taking steps to control your emotional state.

1. Take a Break
   Being angry will lower your inhibitions and may lead you to say something you later regret. How you feel in the heat of the moment may not be how you feel after considering an opposing perspective. Stop, take a breath and wait a few seconds to respond. Don’t do something you regret because you’re mad. Mentally or physically step away from a fight so you can be more objective. Analyze how to best move forward in any given situation. Don’t allow yourself to try and work out a conflict until you feel you are completely calm. Then you will be ready to act rationally. Learn how to use tools such as mindfulness therapy in order to reset your thoughts.

2. Use Meditation
   Meditation is an excellent way to ground yourself during periods of emotional intensity. Meditating on a daily basis can raise the level of stress you are able to tolerate and may lead to less outbursts. In addition, you can use meditation when you are angry and are having a difficult time calming down. Instead of reacting to what is frustrating you, sit back and meditate on the issue. Wait until you feel the waves of emotion are no longer controlling you.

3. Find the Solution
   Often when you’re angry, your inclination is to vent your feelings of frustration. But ask yourself if expressing anger is the most ideal way to address your emotions. You need to figure out what the solution to your problem is so that you can work to achieve that solution. If you feel you need a professional to help you, seek individual counseling. Additionally, if you want your romantic partner to consider your perspective, understand that yelling at them is likely to make the solution more difficult. Consider seeking professional relationship counseling to learn how to communicate more effectively and eliminate destructive patterns. Look for a resolution that will give you emotional relief and take the steps necessary to get to that goal.

4. Consider Different Perspectives
   When you’re mad, you’re more likely to obsess about your perspective without considering anybody else. If someone cuts you off on the freeway, you may become frustrated with how they put your life in danger. But try to flip your perspective and imagine the person you’re angry at had a valid reason to behave the way they did. Possibly the person who cut you off in traffic just found out about a family emergency and they are rushing to the hospital. Humanize those you are angry at so you are less likely to treat them with disrespect. You’ll likely find that changing your perspective mitigates much of your frustration.

Even though it might seem like you are unable to get a grasp on your anger, there are effective treatments and counseling available.  Our Scottsdale counselors at Pathways Counseling Services can teach you how to make day-to-day changes through the use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy that will empower you and help with your anger. DBT is available through individual counseling or through our DBT Skills Group. We are currently signing up participants for the Mindfulness module. we encourage you to schedule an appointment online, contact us or call our office at 480-235-1682 with any questions. You are not alone in your anger and we can help you to live an authentic and more meaningful life – a life that you deserve.