Anger Management Exercises to Help You Stay Calm

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Learning to Manage Your Anger

Many times we can “lose control” during a big family argument or while we are stuck in an upsetting or unpleasant situation.

While anger isn't good, it can help motivate us to change things that aren't working for us, like relationship problems or awkward work situations.

However, don't forget that anger is a strong emotion, and if left unchecked, it can lead to unhappiness or mental health problems.

It can also cause you to act irrationally or aggressively, which can result in social isolation or even health problems.

If you find it difficult to calm down your anger, these exercises can also help you control your anger in a better way.

9 Anger Management Exercises to Try

Outbursts of anger can hurt you and those around you.

A good way to calm anger and prevent any harm is to use anger management exercises. These techniques work by first calming you down and then helping you move forward in a positive way.

Use the following anger management exercises whenever you feel your anger is overwhelming until you feel calm:

Breathing

When you are angry, you may notice that your breathing becomes faster and shallower. An easy way to calm the body and reduce anger is to slow down and deepen your breath.

Try to breathe slowly through your nose and mouth. Breathe deeply through the belly and not through the chest. Repeat breaths as necessary.

Progressive muscle relaxation

Muscle tension is another sign of stress in the body that you can feel when you're angry.

To help calm down, you can try a progressive muscle relaxation technique. This involves slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group in your body, one at a time.

Consider starting at the top of the head and working your way down to the toes, or vice versa.

Visualize yourself calm

Imagining a relaxing place can help you reduce your anger. Sit in a quiet and comfortable space in your memory and close your eyes for a few moments. Let your imagination fly.

When you think about what that relaxing place is like, think about the little details. How does it smell or sound? Think about how calm and good you feel in that place.

Move on

In addition to being healthy for bodily functions, regular exercise is very effective in reducing stress on the body and mind. Try to get some exercise every day to keep stress and anger at bay.

For a quick way to manage anger, go for a walk, bike ride, or run. Or do some other form of physical activity when you feel anger building up.

Know your triggers

Usually, people get angry about specific things over and over again. Spend some time thinking about what makes you angry. Make an effort to avoid or deal with these things if possible.

For example, this might mean closing the door to your child's room when he doesn't clean up, rather than getting angry about the mess. Or it could mean using public transportation instead of driving to work if traffic irritates you easily.

Stop and listen

When you're in an angry argument, you may jump to conclusions and say things that aren't nice. Making an effort to stop and listen to the other person in the conversation before reacting can help defuse the anger and allow you to better respond and resolve the situation.

Think carefully before answering. Tell them that you need to take a step back if you feel like you need to calm down before continuing the conversation.

Change your way of thinking

Anger can make you feel like things are worse than they really are. Reduce your anger by replacing negative thoughts with more realistic ones. You can do this by avoiding extreme words like "never" or "always" when thinking.

Other good strategies include keeping a balanced view of the world and turning your angry demands into requests.

Avoid insisting on the same things

You may repeat the same situation that bothered you over and over again, even if the problem is resolved. This is called inhabiting or ruminating. Dwelling allows the anger to last and can cause more arguments or other problems.

Try to get over what caused your anger. Instead, try to see the positive parts of the person or situation that upset you.

Know your body

When you get angry, your body tends to get very excited. Your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and body temperature may increase. Your body also releases certain stress hormones that put you on high alert.

Pay attention to your body when you are angry. Know your body's warning signs of anger. The next time you feel these warnings, you can either walk away from the situation or try a relaxation technique.

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