Healthy Ways to Handle Anger

It is so easy to start yelling at your partner when things don’t happen the way you want or expect them to. Anger can be such a difficult feeling to control since it is so powerful. What are some things you do when you’re angry? Anger can compromise your ability to do everyday things, even small things such as having a conversation or doing homework. Here are some tips to help you when you might feel angry.

•  Take a Break and Breathe

Anger can be very stressful and overwhelming, so it is important to take a moment to relax. If you are surrounded by a lot of distractions is can be hard to concentrate and focus on cooling yourself down. Go to a calm, quite place to reduce the amount of external tensions. Your break could be as short as a couple of minutes or even last for a few hours. Diming the lights and listening to soothing music can help relax you. Take a minute to control your breathing and slow your breaths down.

• ·         Exercise

Anger is like a rush of adrenaline that can cause you to lash out or act impulsively. One way to counter this rush is to exercise. Physical activity can help reduce the amount of stress you feel that can cause anger. Aerobic exercises (also known as cardio) such as running, walking, swimming, hiking, and dancing are easy exercises you can do to release the excess energy in a healthy way. Another good exercise is yoga. Yoga includes breath control, meditation, and different body positions meant to help relax and keep the body healthy.

• ·         Don’t Hold a Grudge

If you allow anger and other negative feelings to prevail than you might find yourself resentful and swallowed up by your own bitterness. Forgiveness is powerful because it helps you to move on from the situation. Even if someone doesn’t apologize to you, being able to forgive is huge and could provide an opportunity to learn. The fact is that most people aren’t going to act the way you want them to.

Next time you are angry, stressed out, or overwhelmed try out some of these tips to relieve the negative emotions.

- Megan Oleski, Youth Education Specialist