2 Ways to Gain Control Over Your Anger

1. Get to know your anger.

The first thing any individual with an anger problem can do is identify what triggers them. Is there a person, event, or area of your life that you hate to discuss? Is there a particular pet peeve you have that sends you over the edge, like being spoken over? Does excessive stress and/or lack of sleep have something to do with your outbursts? Small questions like these can bring you closer to the root of the problem and can help you predict when your anger might flare up instead of being blindsided by it.

Another thing to tune into is to sense what anger feels like in your body. Do you experience a headache or a sharp rise in temperature? Do your thoughts go a mile a minute?

According to research published in Behavior Modification, you may be able to kill both of these birds with the singular stone of mindfulness training. Noticing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations when you are angry and when you are calm can help you understand and control your anger. Shifting your attention to the soles of your feet when you are in an agitated state is one research-backed meditation prompt that can help quell your urge to react with hostility.

While meditation can work wonders for anger, journaling, and mindfulness-based therapy are also great options.

2. Try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

While mindfulness can help us become aware of our anger and ground ourselves in the present moment, CBT can help us take action, suggests research published in Aggression and Violent Behavior. Through tools like cognitive restructuring, you will be able to recognize and decrease negative thought patterns that would previously send you on a rampage.

Once you have learned to spot a negative thought pattern, you can use behavioral techniques like role-playing a triggering situation. The role-play session can be followed by a "debrief," where your role-play partner gives you feedback, and you can describe your state of mind more clearly.

Read the complete article available at Psychology Today!

Reflection:

What are your thoughts on these anger-controlling tips?

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