Anger Management

Maybe it started with your sibling insulting you, or your parents didn’t allow you to do something like hanging out with friends on a weekday, or perhaps you accidentally bumped into furniture while leaving for school and now have a terrible bruise. There are many reasons why one can get angry.

Although getting angry is a natural emotion, it can lead to behaviour that can hurt you or others. An important part of growing up is learning to deal with your anger so that it does not result in hurting yourself or others.

Why Do I Struggle to Control My Anger?

There are many reasons why people struggle with controlling their anger, and everyone has different reasons, which can result from different factors. Maybe you were taught that expressing anger is not nice or appropriate. Perhaps you have experienced extreme anger or violent behaviours at home or school, and it has distorted your perception of how you should experience and express anger.

Whatever the reason, it is important to learn how to control anger. First is understanding what triggers your anger and managing your behaviour even if you feel that your anger is justified.

Why Should One Control Their Anger?

Apart from relationship complications and, having difficulty understanding and managing your anger can make you vulnerable to physical problems in the future like stress in teenagers. Not dealing with your anger healthily can lead to issues like:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Chronic lower back pain
• Stomach and digestion problems
• Teen Depression
• Eating problems
• Substance abuse
• Addiction to drugs or alcohol
• Relationship problems

How To Know If I Am Getting Too Angry?

Your body has several ways to know when you are getting too angry at something. Some common feelings include:

• Your heart feels like it is racing.
• Your breathing gets faster.
• Your muscles tighten, and your body feels on edge.
• Your body temperature increases, and you may sweat a lot.
• You may get a headache and feel like your head is pounding.

Anger Management Techniques For Teens

Only you can find out the best way you can control your temper. Here are some helpful tips for anger management for teens:

• Take some time before reacting: The simple trick of counting to 10 before responding can help keep your head cool. Sometimes, it is best to sleep over certain situations instead of releasing an immediate response or reaction.
• Work on your problem-solving skills: When faced with a difficult situation, learn as much as possible about it and identify all the feelings you experience. This will prevent you from making any harsh judgements that may be wrong.
• Take responsibility for your actions: Remember that you have the power to decide how you will behave in any given situation if you find a way to keep a cool head.
• Pay attention to what triggers you: Figure out what upsets you and how to manage these triggers. Sometimes they are avoidable, sometimes not, but you need to be ready with strategies to help you control your anger.
• Take slow and deep breaths. Breathe in and slowly breathe out; this works exceptionally well if you feel like your breathing is getting heavy.
• Repeat a calming sentence to yourself like “I am okay.” Or “I am in control of my emotions.”

Controlling your anger can be hard at first, but it is important to learn how to control anger. It is okay if you slip up occasionally but learn to take responsibility for your actions and how they affect others.