Managing your Anger
It is not uncommon to act out with anger in a self-destructive manner when you feel insecure, or you have been hurt. There are lots of things that you can do to help regain personal control. Sometimes the suggestions may seem silly but usually help to some degree. I have listed below some suggestions with regards to what you can do when you feel angry or frustrated. However, note that these suggestions only help distract the mind in the immediate moment. Having an overwhelmed feeling can be a sign that something bigger is occurring for you. This could be a sign of PTSD, Complex PTSD or just inner turmoil. Many people feel “hyped up” and so they either freeze, flight or fight when they have been traumatized.
With Complex PTSD people often struggle with having control over their emotions and so they move quickly from a calm state to an angry state. It is like going from 0 to 60 immediately.
Below are some things that you can do to help ground yourself when you are feeling overwhelmed or angry.
- Crank up your music and dance
- Take a cold shower
- Chew on ginger root
- Stomp your feet
- Count the different colors in the room
- Snap rubber bands on your wrist
- Connect to your different senses
After you have distracted your mind from your anger, take some time to identify what you are feeling. Our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are all inter-connected. One impacts the other. Being mindful can help you to push through the negative feelings and give you chance to look at your thoughts in an objective manner. Sometimes we can recognize that we are feeling upset by paying attention to our physical sensations (rapid heartbeat, feeling of warmth, pit in the stomach, clenched muscles) If you change your thoughts, your feelings will change and then in turn, your behavior will change.
Being able to regulate your emotions is essential to happiness, having close relationships and to self-growth. Having the ability to recognize your emotions and explore your thoughts behind those emotions takes practice and consistency.
Below are some things you can do to help you regulate your emotions.
- Practice Mindfulness
- Be Self-aware
- Practice Self-compassion
- Take time to Self-reflect.
If you continue to struggle with managing your anger, please feel free to contact me for an appointment and we can explore your thoughts and feelings together.