Anger Control - 4 Steps To Successful Anger Management
Understand and learn about anger. Anger is a normal and healthy emotion. It occurs when there is a sense of threat. The body responds by preparing to fight an attacker, or flee the place of danger. This response is called fight and flight. It causes the body to become tense and the mind to focus on any signs of danger. Learning about anger and how it affects you will help you learn effective anger management techniques.
Recognise and challenge angry thoughts. When people are angry their thinking is affected. Thinking is distorted because the brain is looking for information about possible threats. This causes biased thinking and means you will give more attention to negative signals when angry. Start to pay attention to the thoughts you have leading up to an anger outburst. Write them down. Then, when you are feeling calm look at the thoughts and see if they are realistic or if they are biased. As you practice noticing and challenging your angry thoughts controlling anger will become easier.
Know your anger triggers. Anything that causes an increase in your anger level can be a trigger. The more aware you are of your anger triggers the better anger control you will have. To find out your anger triggers notice what happens around you as your anger is increasing. Also notice what you are thinking and how your body is responding. Write down the events leading up to an outburst. What was happening? Who were you with? Where were you? What were you thinking? What were you doing? What was being talked about? Answering these questions for each anger episode will help you find your anger triggers.
Take responsibility for your behaviour. Make a commitment to take responsibility for the effect of your behaviour and to get the help you need to change it. Anger management is successful and effective. Do not give up when it gets difficult. There are many ways to get help with controlling anger. It will take time to practice the skills you need and develop anger control. But it is worth the effort to live a happier, calmer life.
Is anger making your life miserable, or the life of someone you care about? Learn how to control anger and live a calmer, happier life. For free articles, worksheets, an anger bookshop and online resources to help you manage anger visit the Anger Management Class Online http://www.angermanagementclassonline.com/
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