What Is Anger? Techniques And Exercises To Manage It.

Anger is NOT a bad feeling. It’s a basic human emotion. It’s your body’s way of telling you that something just isn’t right and it needs your attention. It can be your natural response to threats, injustice, and disappointments. But sometimes, when it gets unmanageable, it can affect your work, relationships as well as the general quality of life.

Some of the common physical symptoms of anger are:

• Sudden rise in blood pressure
• Tense muscles
• Rapid heartbeat
• Sweating
• Tense jaw
• Clenched fists

Anger Management: Techniques and exercises

Anger management means taking positive steps towards handling your anger so that it doesn’t go out of your hand. It can be a complex process especially if there is a history of short-temperedness. Thus, the steps in the anger management process look different for everyone and can range from self-help anger management techniques to seeking anger management therapy.

Anger Management Techniques

Being able to manage your anger is viewed as a skill in the modern workplace. You can’t go lashing out at anyone or everyone that doesn’t sit right by you. You obviously can’t also suck it in and continue as if nothing happened (that’s unhealthy too) Hence, below we mention 5 ways in which you can manage your anxiety better:

1. Recognise your anger early: This requires a bit of mindfulness and noticing common patterns over a few incidents of you getting angry. When you identify your pattern, chances are you will know your triggers as well as signs that you are getting angry better. This can help you maintain a distance or leave the situation in time so that you can cool off.
2. Take time out: You can temporarily leave the situation when you see the signs set in. When other people are involved too, you can let them know that you need a few minutes to calm down. Remember, the problems will not be solved if you or anyone else is angry.
3. Find a channel for your anger: Exercise can help in an emotional release and the chemical released in your brain can help create a sense of relaxation and happiness. A simple run, some dancing, or even some floor exercises at home can really help you calm down and clear your head. Alternatively, something like tearing up a paper, sweeping a softball or screaming into your pillow might help too at that moment
4. Express your Anger: This is a technique that should be done after you’ve calmed down and the situation has passed. Express your frustration to those involved, show them your side of things and also why the said situation triggered you. This obviously wouldn’t help in the current situation but you’d be able to avoid such problems in future
5. Make sure to sleep and eat well: Regular sleep and proper nutrition are needed to manage your mood better. You tend to be more short-tempered or frustrated and easily irritated when you are running on little or no sleep and an empty stomach.

Anger Management Exercises

At times simple exercises can really help you disassociate from your anger at the moment and work towards calming down. These 4 exercises can help when you feel your anger setting in:

1. Box Breathing: Start by inhaling and exhaling deeply, then count your breaths: 4 seconds inhaling, 4 seconds holding your breath, 4 seconds exhaling, 4 seconds holding and repeat. Make sure to time yourself properly. This exercise will not only help you calm down but keeping a track of time will also shift your focus away from the situation.
2. Visualisation: Imagine your relaxing experiences, what do you see, smell, hear, feel and taste? Maybe you’re on a beach with sand between your toes and waves crashing in the distance. Spend a few minutes in your happy place, noticing and imagining all the details of the relaxing scene.
3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Start by taking a few deep breaths and then slowly shift your focus to the muscles in your toes, slowly tighten them and then release them. Then move upwards through your legs, abdomen, arms right up to your face and head. Notice the tension and anger leaving your body, one muscle at a time. Let lose the fists, the shoulder and unclench your jaws.
4. Grounding: To distract yourself from the situation that is inducing anger in you, shift your attention to 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.

Anger Management Therapy

When you feel like none of the techniques help and it’s difficult to control your anger then it’s an indicator that you should seek help from mental health professionals. Uncontrollable anger can negatively affect you; both physically and mentally as well as affect your daily life and relationships. Mental health professionals can work with you to teach you techniques for changing your thinking and your behaviour or teach you ways to express it appropriately.

What is anger management therapy?

It is a goal-oriented therapeutic strategy that helps you understand your triggers and work on the same. The number of sessions, length of sessions, session setting (individual or group) vary depending on individual needs.

What is the best therapy for anger management?

Anger differs from one person to another in the sense that individual triggers and responses are different. It’s important to consult a professional to understand your anger, triggers and work with the professional towards a common goal of better anger management. The anger management therapy techniques used would differ based on individual needs and can be a mix of specific approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or a more general approach of basic talk therapy and counselling. We’d suggest that you consult a professional and let them devise the best way forward for you.

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