4 Tips to Managing Your Anger Before it Manages You

Anger is a feeling which can take control over the way we react to a situation. Left unchecked, it can result in violent outbursts that affect other people as much as they affect you. That being said, managing your anger is important to prevent a problem from becoming worse.

Taming your anger is difficult. Then again, you need to keep your cool all the time. Letting your emotions run wild can affect your performance at work. Worse, it can also affect the relationships you have with your coworkers, friends, and family.

On that note, we will have to know how best to suppress our anger. Let’s look at some of the best ways to manage your anger before it manages you.

1. Do self-evaluation

There’s always a reason behind your anger. It could be that a coworker accidentally erased all your files on your Dropbox account or you got ticketed for illegal parking. At any rate, understanding why you are angry is the first step to addressing this feeling. Once we get hold of the root causes of our anger, it will be easier for us to find an appropriate solution.

2. Know what triggers you

Other times, we feel angry for reasons we simply don’t know. We suddenly get irritated by the smallest things and feel like we’re about to go on a tantrum. If that’s the case, then we will have to contain our anger early on by simply avoiding triggers. If you don’t like the sound of chatter, you can stay away from large crowds. Does the summer heat make you boil up? Then, spend more time indoors until your anger dissipates.

3. Avoid magnifying your anger

Even though you’re the most sedate person in the world, you will still feel anger. It often comes to a point where you exaggerate the feeling. You suspend reason and you push yourself into doing desperate acts. Never let your anger get the best of you. The feeling will somehow subside. Until then, you will need to avoid doing things that could escalate the situation. Otherwise, you’ll risk destroying yourself and force people to have a bad impression of you.

4. Calm down

If you think you’re at your tipping point, find time to escape from the pressure and relax your mind. You will need to find a place where you can be at peace. Meditation has always been a great way to feel calm. So, take time to do breathing exercises and empty your mind of negative thoughts. That way, you will feel more composed and ready to take on the world with renewed confidence.

Keep in mind, there are things that will happen that will trigger your anger. You can’t get rid of these triggers right away. However, you can still train yourself to keep yourself under control.

Once you know how to properly approach your anger, you will be able to lead a more fulfilling life that’s anchored on happiness.