Healthy Anger Management
From LoveToKnow Stress
Healthy anger management is the process of identifying and managing anger in constructive ways.
What is Healthy Anger Management?
Healthy anger management involves learning to recognize feelings of anger and then dealing with those feelings in a healthy, positive way. Anger management does not mean ignoring or suppressing feelings of anger. To manage your anger effectively, you must learn how to express it appropriately while maintaining control of your emotions.
Identifying Anger Management Problems
Poor anger management can have devastating effects on all areas of life. It can damage relationships, negatively affect health, lead to loss of employment, and result in legal problems. The first step in anger management is recognizing you have a problem controlling your anger.
Signs you need help with anger management:
- You find yourself involved in frequent arguments with your partner, coworkers, or children
- You have a history of engaging in physical violence or damaging property
- You have been in trouble with the law because of your anger
- You often feel as though you must keep your anger bottled up inside you
- Your loved ones tell you they are afraid of you when you are angry
- You have lost a job because of anger problems
Everyone feels angry on occasion. The way in which those feelings are dealt with is what separates someone with an anger problem from someone without an anger problem.
Developing Anger Management Skills
Developing healthy anger management skills takes time and effort. Before you can learn constructive ways of dealing with your anger, you must identify your anger triggers and learn to recognize when you are about to lose control of your anger.
To identify anger triggers in your life, think about your daily routine. Write down anything that makes you feel angry or out of control. Do certain issues at home trigger angry outbursts, or is financial stress your primary trigger? Make a list of everything that causes you to feel angry during a normal day.
Once you have completed your list of triggers, make a second list of physical and emotional signs that may indicate you are about to lose control of your anger. To do this, close your eyes and think about one of your triggers. When you feel your anger rising, make a note of any physical or emotional symptoms you are experiencing. Is your jaw clenched or face flushed? Do you feel hot or cold? Is your head pounding or are your hands trembling? Once you become familiar with your early warning signs of anger, you are ready to learn anger management techniques to cope with your triggers.
Benefits of Anger Management
Whether you attempt to learn anger management on your own or with the help of a professional, there are many benefits to controlling your anger.
Anger management can help you:
- Express your needs assertively, without aggression or threats
- Learn problem-solving skills that will benefit you in every area of your life
- Improve your communication skills to reduce arguments and misunderstandings
- Improve your overall health by preventing symptoms and conditions associated with anger, such as headaches, insomnia, high blood pressure, and digestive problems
- Reduce your risk of depression, anxiety, and addiction
- Increase your productivity and enjoyment of life
Considerations
Learning to deal with your anger in a positive and healthy way will improve all areas of your life.
If you need help learning to control your anger, your doctor can refer you to an anger management specialist in your area.
Learn More
This page has been accessed 19 times. This page was last modified 20:27, 29 October 2009.
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