Anger can come in all shapes and sizes for everyone but there are healthy and responsible ways to deal with your anger instead of lashing out.
There are many things that can make a person angry whether they're things that have built up over time or inconveniences throughout the day. If you feel that you can't successfully deal with your anger, then there are plenty of tips you can try to help clear your mind.
Plus holding your anger in until you boil over the top isn't healthy either!
Keep reading for our guide to seven healthy ways to release anger so you don't have to spend all day being upset.
1. Use Relaxation Skills
One great way to help release your anger is by using relaxation skills. Relaxation skills could be breathing exercises, repeating a calming word or phrase, or even just picturing yourself in a different relaxing setting. It will be up to you when it comes to figuring out what type of skills will help you to relax.
The best skill to use is taking deep breathes especially in the heat of the moment because it can help you to not focus on your anger. When you're angry you being to take in short breathes that actually cause you to stay in that angry state. Instead, you should try taking in deep and long breathes that you inhale from your belly and not right from your chest.
2. Forgive and Forget
Another reason why you might stay angry or build up angry overtime is that you're holding grudges against certain people or even things. When it comes to releasing that built up anger you need to be able to forgive and forget.
Forgiveness can be powerful in many ways because it can help you to think more positively about the situation. Anger causes lots of negative emotions but changing those to positives will help you to release it.
Of course, you won't need to tell the person that you've forgiven them because this is more of a mental thing for you. On the other hand, sometimes you and another person may need to talk about your issues. In this case, create some time to sit down with another person so you can calmly discuss the way that you're feeling and work on it together.
3. Talk It Out
When anger is building up inside of us there are ways that we can release it in a positive way instead of just exploding. Sometimes talking and venting about a problem to a person that you trust and can rely on is the best way to get your anger and frustrations out. Having a person listen to why you're upset can give you the validation that you need so that you can move on from the problem.
A therapist is also a great person to talk with if you feel like you cannot deal with your anger. Getting the help you deserve is important. Going to a therapist can help you deal with your anger issues as well as give you real-time advice on how you can cope.
4. Exercise
Exercise can be a good treatment for a plethora of health issues especially when it comes to dealing with your anger. Getting physical can help to reduce your stress to make you feel calmer in the future. When we feel more relaxed and less stressed, then small things may not bother you as much as they did in the past.
Getting physical activity into your daily routine is a great way to control your anger and help to keep you calm in the future. You can spend some time daily in the gym, go for a walk after work, or even playing sports with your friends or your children can help to give you the exercise you need.
5. Create Solutions
When you can see yourself getting angry you should create solutions to your problems instead of blowing up. These solutions may not be a fix-all but rather can help you to forget about your anger at the time.
Instead of getting angry try to change the thing that upsets you. For example, if someone is constantly late, then try to schedule the time for later in the day or work with them to create a time. There are plenty of solutions that can help you to not focus on your anger.
6. Write About It
Another healthy way for you to release your anger is by getting it all out on paper. Writing about your problems or the things that make you angry can help you cope and deal with them. Just by getting your thoughts and emotions out of your head may help you to feel less angry.
Plus, there are tons of ways that you can write about your anger instead of just putting them in a journal! Writing a letter or email to someone that has made you upset is a good way to get your frustrations out on them. Of course, you probably won't end up actually sending it to them.
7. Give Yourself a Timeout
Whenever you're in a situation where you feel like you may start to blow up or lash out, you should give yourself a timeout. Excuse yourself immediately and either head to the bathroom, take a walk outside, or even just take a moment to sit alone in your car. Depending on the situation you're in, there are plenty of escape routes you can take to get yourself out.
When you give yourself a timeout you can spend a few moments of silence to reflect and try to calm yourself down. This is also a great time to use those relaxation skills we talked about in the first tip!
Healthy Ways to Release Anger
So when it comes to figuring out ways to release anger there are plenty of healthy tips and tricks you can use. Take the time to see which strategies will work best for you so you can control your anger better on a daily basis.
If you feel like you can't do it on your own, then there's always someone there that can help you.
Make sure to set up an appointment with us or check out our anger management guide for more ways to help you cope!