Managing Anger by Marissa Keep

Anger is an emotion that can often feel unwelcome in our lives. Just like all emotions, anger is a signal to us and provides us with information about our reaction to something. Different people respond in different ways when they feel angry. Although anger is a difficult emotion to handle sometimes, there are ways we can learn to manage the feeling and work through it.

Anger can arise in many different situations, and there are many ways to respond to, understand, and work through our angry feelings. One way to work with anger is to write your thoughts down in a journal. Expressing your anger in words in a safe place, such as a journal, can be helpful to organize your thoughts and express some of the intensity of the feelings. Another way to manage anger is to get rid of some of the bodily tension that comes with anger by taking a brisk walk, going for a run, or lifting weights. Another suggestion for how to work with angry feelings is to follow a progressive muscle relaxation exercise like this one. This practice can help you release some of the tension in your body and help you to feel more regulated. Using a combination of these methods for working through anger may be the most helpful.

Talking with someone you trust, like a therapist or close friend, when you feel overwhelmed by anger can be very beneficial as well. Putting words to your feelings can help you better understand why you feel so angry. Talking with someone can help you decide what you want to do with the angry feelings and how you might move forward. Feeling listened to and understood when we are angry can often help us better tolerate the uncomfortable feelings.