Anger Management and Why we get angry?
There a huge number of things that can make you angry. Some people lose their temper very easily, and it’s those people who need to be extra careful about controlling their anger.
Being insulted or hurt can make a person feel very angry. The same thing can be experienced if someone close to you such as a friend or sibling is hurt. This is just natural. Another thing is jealousy – If someone else has something that you do not, you may begin to resent them even if you know they didn’t mean to anger you.
Here are a few more reasons:
- If someones does something that annoys you, such as play music too loud
- Embarrassment – If someone makes fun of you, or reveals something embarassing about you
- Not getting your way. If no-one listens to what you have to say, or want to do.
- Failure – If you aren’t very good at something.
The Consequences
Not controlling your anger can have very negative consequences. For example, if someones annoys you, and you hit them, you could cause permanent damage and could even face a criminal record.
You may also lose friends if you say something whilst you are angry. By being angry at other people, you might make them angry too, which could lead to a fight.
How to control your anger
Now comes the most important bit, actualy stopping yourself becoming angry. This isn’t as simple as it seems, and depends on why you are angry. Different things will work for different people.
1. Breathe in, and breathe out. Sometimes, just taking a few deep breaths can help calm you down. It seems a bit obvious, but you’d be surprised at what a bit of air can do for you.
2. Count to 10. It sounds a bit cheesy, but like taking a few deep breaths it will help calm you down, and help you think clearly.
3. Think before you act. Always stop and think before you act. Ask yourself what the outcome of doing something could be. Thinking of the consequences of lashing will help deter you.
4. Relax. If you are angry, relax. For example, have a lie down or sit down and let your mind wander.
5. Don’t relax. For some people just being busy can help them forget, and allow their minds to concentrate on something else.
6. Have a laugh. If you’ve been embarrased, try to see the funny side of it, and pretend it happened to someone else. This can make you laugh yourself too, which helps lift your mood.
7. Music. Some people find the best way to relax is to listen to some calm music.
8. Walk. Walk around town for half an hour, just taking everything in. Who knows, you might even forget why you were angry in the first place by the end.
9. Take it out. If you go all out on a punch bag for a few minutes, you won’t have any energy left in you to be angry. Doing physical activity is a good way of releasing anger safely.
10. Focus on something else. if you are being annoyed, try to think about something else. For example, what you are going to eat, or what’s going to be on TV later.
11. Talk to someone. Chat to a friend about the thing that’s making you angry. You might even be able to talk to the person who’s making you angry and sort it out.