Handle Your Anger

Handle Your Anger

Anger, while a healthy and normal reaction to disturbing situations, can be extreme to the point of violence. When a person experiences habitual episodes of angry or reckless behavior, there's a problem, one that must be dealt with. Anger management strategies are designed to help an individual return to a healthy, normal life.

Taking a time-out is considered a healthy management approach. Removing oneself from a place or person that makes a person angry is practicing time-out. Go for a walk or leisurely drive.  Sometimes a physical activity such as running or playing sports helps release the built up energy.  As your energy dissipates, so does the anger.

A second healthy anger management strategy is, owning up to the anger. The anger actually belongs to the distressed person. Only the person who's experiencing the anger issues can control their outbursts. When we are angry, our bodies react strongly-heart rate increases, muscles tighten and all body systems need to work harder.  In the end, the person anger hurts the most is the one experiencing it.

Another healthy anger management strategy is to look back on those situations that troubled an individual and try to uncover ways to make changes. Not only may the person learn to evade these incidents but they may also decide to take what they've learned and try to deal with it without bursting into frenzy.

A fourth healthy management strategy is to confront the situation or person. Talk to the person or people involved calmly and try to resolve the cause of the problem. Often matters can be quickly worked out to the satisfaction of both parties involved.  If they can't, it may be worth just walking away and deciding to agree to disagree.

Anger serves a purpose in our lives but don't allow excessive anger destroy yours.