Your mom insists that you help weed the garden, and you hate that chore. Your dad says you can't go to the concert next weekend. You catch your little sister going through your stuff. You hear someone is spreading rumors about you. You think the referee made a bad call against you in a basketball game. A kid bumps into you in the hallway and your books drop. What are good ways to deal with anger?
There are four ways to deal with anger. You can bury your anger, letting it simmer, hoping stewing and sulking will make it go away. You can fly off the handle, lashing out physically or verbally, abusing everyone involved. You can slam doors and throw things out of frustration. Or you can learn ways to deal with anger that are not hurtful to anyone.
Anger has a bad reputation, but it is a totally normal human emotion. You feel it in your head. You feel it in your chest. You feel it coursing through your body. Too often it makes you want to act impulsively, snapping at everyone in your path. Because it's such a powerful feeling, finding ways to deal with anger can be a challenge. It takes both self awareness, the ability to take a moment and notice what you are feeling, as well as self-control, using that time to start thinking how you might react, to figure out the best ways to deal with anger.
Exercise. Go for a walk, work out, or go play a sport. Studies show that exercise is a great way to improve your mood and decrease negative feelings. Listen to music. Research has shown that music can change a person's mood pretty fast. Write down your thoughts. Use a journal or poetry or song lyrics as ways to deal with anger. You can share it or not, it doesn't matter. Just the act of writing it down can make you feel better. If you notice how you feel and release your emotions on paper, they don't have a chance to build up inside. Relax. Deep breathing, yoga, or repeating phrases such as calm down might be helpful ways to deal with anger. If you can incorporate these techniques into your everyday life, even better. Draw. Talent has nothing to do with the effectiveness of scribbling, doodling, or sketching your thoughts. Talk about what's going on inside you with someone you trust. Many times, anger is accompanied by sadness or fear. Sharing these thoughts with a friend or better still, a trusted adult, is often helpful. Distract yourself. If you find yourself stewing, get your mind off what's bugging you by watching TV, reading, or going to the movies.
Learn ways to deal with anger and get helpful information at BeingGirl.com.
