Article by Fiora Touliatou
We all have to face situations in our daily lives that other people make us angry. Many of them can be so toxic that they are capable of making us upset! How can we manage this without losing our temper?
- Avoid answering or saying anything until you are calm. We often regret what we say when we are angry. Avoid replying to messages or emails if the communication is digital. Get out of the room or distract yourself with something uplifting when the conflict is face-to-face.
- Think and use your words carefully before you speak. Words can make a big difference. They can either improve the disagreement or make it worse.
- Be simple and clear when you express what has bothered you. Avoid sarcasm and insults.
- Use breathing and mindfulness exercises. Focusing on your breath and the present moment, calms down both your mind and your heart.
- If you find it hard to release your anger and it keeps bothering you, you can divert this negative emotion/energy into exercise and release it in a constructive way. Martial arts are an ideal form of exercise for releasing anger
- Try to take an empathetic perspective rather than having a victim mindset. See the whole situation as an observer and disattach from the feelings that make you upset.
- If you realise you are struggling and cannot deal with the source of your anger, please contact a professional psychologist or other mental health counselor to find more ways to resolve things. There is no shame in asking for help. Moreover, a professional certainly knows better ways and can give us more tools.
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