Managing your Anger

Have you ever experienced people talking aggressively and disgustingly at each other?  Have you encountered people engaging in fisticuffs? Perhaps, you heard the most irked conversations that made you feel sad? These and many more represent a person’s state of mind as it pertains to anger.

What then is anger?  It is a strong feeling of displeasure, disgust, hostile aggression, furious emotion stemming from frustrating or threatening experiences. It may be the reason for loneliness, sadness, or fear. For it to take place, it would have built up, sparked, and finally exploded as the aftermath of anger. We can classify it as passive aggression, open aggression, and assertive aggression.  When you lose your patience, you become angry.

Some approaches to managing your anger include expressing, suppressing, and calming your emotions. Expressing your angry feelings in an assertive yet non-aggressive manner is the healthiest way to express anger. To do this, you have to learn how to make clear what your needs are, and how to get them met without hurting others. When you can recognize the signs of anger, it is very easy to handle its triggers in a positive way. When you can identify it at an early stage, expressing your needs (it does not involve holding it in or avoiding associated feelings) while remaining calm and in control will never trigger anger. Almost anyone can learn to control their feelings with time, patience, and dedication.

When it is negatively affecting a relationship, and it is dangerously leading to violence or otherwise absurd behavior, you can engage the services of a mental health professional or plan to attend an anger management class. However, there are initial, immediate techniques to try. Some people find that they can resolve these issues without seeking professional assistance. These may include:

• Breathe. When you are angry beyond belief, there is nothing more you can do than just breathe and take back control of your body. You should not talk at a time like this.
• Count. Try to count numbers in your head. This will help you to take your mind off the immediate issue.
• Keep a journal or log about your anger. Not for the purpose of getting angrier, but to understand that the primary cause of the trigger was not worth it.
• Be peaceful. Understand that peace is the panacea to anger. 
• Embrace confrontation. Always converse when confronted and be less personal at it. Not every confrontation is meant to nail you. Most are for clarification.
• Exercise. Is good for the heart and also for emotions.
• Take some time or go for a walk. Be sure to take time to cool off anything that is causing you to get angry. Respectfully walk away, take as much time as you will. Do not take forever at this.
• Apologies. If you know that your anger took a greater part of you and you behaved irrationally and hurtful. Knowing that you apologized frees you from anger.

In conclusion, getting at least seven (7) hours of quality sleep every night contributes to mental and physical health. Sleep deprivation is the reason for a number of health problems, including irritability and anger.

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