How To Deal With Anger

 

Wisdom asks us to express our anger rather than suppressing it. However recent studies have questioned this idea by showing that people who are overtly hostile seem to be at higher risk for heart attacks. Furthermore, angry words or actions won’t contribute to psychological wellness if they damage important personal or professional relationship

Managing your own anger

If you feel an explosive anger coming on, consider the following two strategies;

• Reflect what you are thinking at that  moment; you will be less angry at another person if there is a possibility that his/her behavior was not intentionally directed against you. Did the man who broke your car mirror do it deliberately or did he simply fail to see it?. Look for possible mitigating measures that would make you less likely to blame him.

• Distract yourself by concentrating on your breathing. If needed take a longer cooling-off period by leaving the situation until your anger has subsided.

Managing anger in other people 

If someone you are with becomes very angry, respond asymmetrically by reacting not with anger but with calm.Focusing on solving problem by allowing the individual to explain why he/she is so angry and what can be done to alleviate the situation. If a person can't be calmed, it may be best to disengage at least temporarily