6 Easy Techniques To Control Anger
Anger can be accompanied by changes, both psychological and physiological. For this reason, among others, it is essential to learn to control it.
Anyone can get angry and feel angry from time to time. But if these episodes recur often and are hurting you or the people you care about, you may need to learn anger management. If you have a hard time dealing with this emotion, read on to learn new techniques that will help you reduce your anger.
Anger can wreak havoc on your health, both mental and physical, and affect the people around you. In addition, it is one of the emotions that worst affect the body and cardiovascular health. For this reason, we explain what it is and offer you 6 easy techniques to control it.
What is anger?
Anger is an emotion that can vary in intensity depending on the state of the person and what triggers it. Its slightest manifestation would be a disgust, and the most serious would be represented in the form of rage or fury.
It can be accompanied by short-term changes, both psychological and physiological; increasing blood pressure, or the production of hormones such as adrenaline. Furthermore, it is also capable of dealing damage over time. For example, a study published by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that anger increases the likelihood of coronary heart disease.
Furthermore, the American Psychological Association reports that anger is a response to an external threat, where one must fight to defend oneself from a greater evil. So it is important for survival. But remember that extremes are bad.
Techniques to control and reduce anger
You may not know well how to control it, but if you have entered this space it is a good opportunity to start today. We propose some techniques so that it does not take over you. Take note!
Relax and breathe
Therapies or methods to relax you will come in handy to reduce tension and anger, as well as the thoughts or feelings that lead you to feel that way. In this sense, learning to breathe is crucial to calm yourself. Meditation, yoga or tai chi are practices that are based on focusing, freeing the mind and controlling the breath.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath through your nose, and try not to think about anything. Do you think it is difficult? It does not matter, try it and you will see how you begin to be more relaxed.
Perform cleansing activities
Physical exercise helps eliminate anger naturally. Surely you will find an activity that works for you to release tension and enjoy at the same time. You can practice boxing or some martial art (judo, taekwondo, kickboxing ), for example. Or maybe riding a bike or walking will help you avoid an angry episode.
If you find your anger and anger growing, go for a walk and get some fresh air. When you’re in gym class, focus your energies on eliminating whatever is making you angry.
Know the problem
A good way to reduce excess anger is to deal with it. That is to say, search within yourself what are the causes of this anger or that reaction. You may not have realized what is bothering you. Or maybe you need to talk about it, either with a therapist or with the person generating these feelings. You must be focused and think that any problem has a solution.
If the situation is out of control, don’t worry. If you can improve or change it, take action. Also, make an appointment with your psychologist if you think you can’t overcome anger on your own. He will know how to help you through different techniques, or he will serve you simply by listening to you (venting is also a great way to release tension).
Rationalize the situation to control anger
When anger begins to dominate it is not possible to think clearly. This is a problem that has a solution. First, try to avoid the words “never” and “always.” If you justify the anger, you will not be able to solve the problem. In this way, change the “I always get angry when I’m late” or “I can never be calm in a traffic jam” for a “I will do my best to calm down the next time I do not arrive on time or get stuck on the road.”
Improve communication
Sometimes people get angry because frustration takes over. If you talk to a person on more than one occasion and things do not go the way you want, it is not always the fault of the other, perhaps you are the one who cannot explain well what you want.
Listen carefully to what you say, ask the interlocutor what they have understood, answer the doubts until they are clarified. This will save you trouble.
Take a vacation
Or if you can’t at least get a weekend break somewhere outside the home. Get out of the routine a bit, walk in a park or on the beach, stop thinking about problems, take some time to think about what you want and how to calm down.
In any case, try not to get in touch with those things that bother you (such as city traffic or overwork). Think positive, take advantage of the contact with nature, breathe deeply, feel the scent of a flower and laugh more.
It’s not too late to learn to control anger
Avoid settling into the thought of “I’m like this and I’m not going to change my character.” The truth is that anger problems no longer only affect oneself, they also influence personal relationships with the people who love and matter most to you.
For this reason, it is not too late to solve this emotional problem. Also, if you see that you need help and you do not control it, go ahead and go to a specialist or therapist to tackle the root problem.
