Anger Control Methods
It is normal for people to express anger. In fact, anger is healthy when the person experiencing it is able to control the emotion. We ordinarily express our anger through words. However, people who are unable to control their anger express it physically. A person whose anger often takes on a physical form (e.g., hitting, physical rage, punching, slapping, etc.) develops problems in his personal and work life.
When you are angry, your anger may be directed at one person or situation. You may even become angry when you have a problem that frustrates you and worries you. A memory can also make you angry. When you are angry, your body experiences physiological and biological changes. Your heart beats faster, your blood pressure shoots up, and your energy hormones (adrenaline and noradrenaline) increases.
Typically, people express anger in an aggressive manner. You've probably seen two angry people and expressing their anger towards each other through fighting. However, it is not always the case that anger results to physical attacks. There are norms of social behavior that need to be followed.
If you are angry, there are three ways you can approach the emotion: express the anger, suppress the anger, calm the anger. Expressing anger in a controlled manner, is a healthy approach. However, this approach is often difficult to do because it involves a balancing act -- getting your needs met without hurting others. In short, controlling anger involves respecting both yourself and other people, especially those who are the cause or object of your anger, while still being able to express it.
The second approach is suppression. Suppressing anger can backfire. When a person tends to suppress his anger, he can develop high blood pressure, hypertension or even depression. It can also cause the individual to develop either a passive behavior or an aggressive one. Either way, he is unlikely to build good relationships with other people.
The last approach is calming the anger down. A person who is able to calm his anger down is able to control his outward behavior. However, if he is unable to calm down, he may hurt someone or even himself.
If you feel yourself getting angry, there are techniques you can use to control your anger. For instance, you can make use of relaxation tools like deep breathing and repeating calming words to calm you down and reduce the intensity of your anger. They aren't guaranteed to make your anger go away, but what they will do is reduce your angry feelings so that you can take better hold of your emotions.
Another way you can control your anger is to change your way of thinking. For instance, have you noticed how some angry people resort to cursing or swearing when they are angry? If you tend to do this, you may want to make a conscious effort to stop cursing or swearing, and instead start thinking more rationally and reasonably. Also remember that anger makes people assume wrongly or do stupid things because anger can cloud their judgment. Thus, whenever you find yourself angry, slow down and think carefully before you say or do anything.