Coping With Anger
A Few Quick Tips on Coping with Anger
Everyone experiences anger at one time or another, but there are healthy ways of coping with anger and ways that are not so healthy. Sometimes we have anger which is justifiable, such as when there is an unfair law or tax. Getting angry about something like that can be one way to start the process of changing it.
Coping with anger in a healthy way means putting aside hostility and aggressiveness. These are often used to hurt someone and one thing that is involved in dealing with hostility in a healthy way is to put away our need to take revenge and hurt someone to avenge our own hurt. If we have chronic anger that hurts other people or ourselves, we need to get help to deal with it.
Not coping with anger in a healthy way can lead to many physical problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, headaches, skin conditions, upset stomachs, ulcers, and other ailments. The psychological toll of anger can be anxiety, depression, alcohol or drug abuse, food disorders, and other psychological problems.
Sometimes people who haven’t learned to successfully cope with anger can destroy relationships with family or friends, or even end up in jail if unchecked anger leads to aggression against individuals or their possessions. People whose anger gets out of control quickly must learn to recognize the warning signs and take action before anger gets out of hand.
Knowing why you are angry and recognizing the trigger signals is one of the first steps to dealing with anger in a healthy way. For example, one of the ways of coping with anger is to take a timeout. Experts say to give yourself at least twenty minutes to cool off. Go to another room. Take a walk.
Changing the way you look at a situation can help you change the thoughts that trigger anger. For instance, if somebody cuts you off in traffic, yelling, swearing and trying to hit the other driver is not going to be the healthy reaction. Maybe you think everyone is out to get you and this is just one more thing that convinces you of it even further. But, if instead, you simply think, “hey, maybe that person didn’t see me,” or maybe they have a good reason, such as they are trying to get a sick child or animal some medical help.
Writing is another way of coping with anger. Keeping a journal can help you figure out your feelings and think about them. Anger is easier to manage when you know why you are angry and where it’s coming from. For others a more physical release of anger is needed such as hitting a punching bag, playing a little basketball or hitting baseballs in a batting cage.
Coping with anger successfully is not hard once you learn what to do. Sometimes the best way to figure that out is to see a therapist or join a group focused on anger management.