When we become angry, the outcome of our actions tend to occur on both conscious and sub-conscious levels. Conscious actions are taken with thought and consideration beforehand while sub-conscious actions are usually taken without thought. We usually take at least one of three different approaches to dealing with our feelings by suppressing, expressing, or calming them.
Suppressing is when we try to forget about what's making us angry and try to think about something else. You could also call this repressing feelings but either way, it could lead to long term anger issues or psychological issues since you are running from those feelings instead of confronting them.
Expressing is when we assert our anger through physical and verbal actions in a positive or negative manner. Expressing your anger is the healthiest approach to take if done positively instead of aggressively. You can learn how to express your anger positively by identifying your needs for calming down and how to meet them.
Calming anger is done by having the ability to remain calm when anger is triggered and bring your body to peace. Take your needs and trying creating a method that you can use to calm down when you get angry.
4 Strategies for Managing Anger
You will never be able to change the environment or people that cause your anger however, there are ways to change your attitude and behavior.1) Try to Stay Relaxed
Although it may seem hard, try to relax when you are angry. Try using breathing techniques, counting, and visualization of a happier place.
Take deep breaths from your diaphragm and release the air slowly while visualizing something that makes you happy. You can also count while you exhale or try praying and repeating something motivational to yourself such as "relax" or "getting that angry just isn't worth it."
2) Abstain Your Anger
The next time you get angry, try telling yourself that there's always someone out there that's worse off than you are. It may not work right away, but you will start remembering other people's misfortunes while angry if you practice enough. When you take the time to stop and look at some of the bigger problems in the world, it can really help put your problems into perspective.
3) Become More Aware of Your Environment
A person's surroundings can often be an influencing factor in the type of mood they're in. Think about the people and places around you and identify any potential threats that you believe could trigger your anger. From here, you can handle your anger in one of two ways.
You could try to avoid the people and places that cause you the most anger so that you won't have to deal with it anymore. This is basically just coping with your anger instead of managing it, so you really aren't solving the problem but rather giving it a crutch.
4) Work on Communication Skills With Yourself and Others
When people are angry, they rarely take the time to stop and think about the potential consequences of their actions. It's imperative that you take the time to think about the situation and a better way to handle it, and a good way to do this is by talking to yourself. This can help rationalize your actions or words when you're angry and sometimes even change your perspective on the problem.
