Being angry or agitated by something can completely change your mood. It’s especially disheartening when you were already having a good day, as it can completely change your positive emotions into negative ones.
We talked to wellness professionals about what they find is the best and most effective ways to deal with anger in the moment to help get your day back on track.
1) Brainstorm to your problems right away
“Most of the time when we’re angry it’s the cause of frustration from a problem we are dealing with. When we feel like we can’t get ahead, or problem solve right away, we tend to get angry instantly. Something I find helpful is to think of ideas to your problems as soon as they surface because it helps to diffuse any strong feelings you might have”, says James Parsons who is the founder of Content Powered.
If you ruminate in your anger, it becomes much more difficult to control it which can cause you to spiral. You might end up saying things you regret, and also affecting the mood of others around you. When you start to get frustrated, try to brainstorm solutions on paper and focus your energy here instead of simply allowing yourself to feel angry and negative about the situation.”
2) Set a limit for your anger
Ahmed ElBarkouki is the CEO of Echelon Health. He says, “when you allow yourself to be angry for too long, you can end up feeling sorry for yourself which can make it tough to feel motivated to keep working or finishing whatever it is you were doing. I find when I set a limit for how long I can be angry, I am more apt to just move on and it doesn’t affect my day as much.
Try setting a timer on your phone to let yourself have those feelings. I do feel it’s important to acknowledge that you’re angry, but it’s just as important to grieve that moment and then move on. Set a timer for 5 minutes while also taking some deep breaths. Allow those emotions to come through and then tell yourself to move on from those emotions once your phone goes off. You will find you tend to not dwell on being angry as much which has a much better outcome for you in terms of being productive and having a healthier outlook on things.”
3) Change your environment
“Changing your scenery can be such a great way to help yourself during a time of anger,” suggests Yeonsil K. who is the founder of Home Spritz. “If I’m inside, I find heading outdoors is one of the best ways to recalibrate. It makes it easier to shift your focus and take a moment to collect yourself before dealing with whatever it was that made you angry in the first place.
You can also go for a walk, take a nap, or eat something to allow yourself a few moments of peace. When you change your environment, it becomes easier to get a better grasp on your emotions and it also helps you to not say or do something you don’t mean.”
4) Shift your thinking
Alexander Burgemeester the founofder Ireland Wide suggests that, “when you start to get angry about something, you should try to shift your negative thoughts by changing them with good ones. Angry emotions tend to cause you to think negatively, which can in the end hurt your own self-esteem or someone else's confidence around you. Try your best to switch your thoughts into more constructive ones so you can reverse what you are thinking.
It makes it easier to think about the real reason you are angry, and then calm yourself down by being realistic about your emotions. Sometimes anger comes out because we’re tired, overstimulated or overwhelmed and the situation we are in is aggravating those feelings. When we figure out the root cause, it makes it easier to shift how you view your feelings and you can then change those thoughts with more positive ones.”
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