21 Tips On Reducing Your Anger
1. Count down. Count down (or up) to 10. If you’re really mad, start at 100.
2. Take a breather. Take slow, deep breaths from your nose and exhaling out of your mouth for several moments.
3. Go walk around. Go for a walk, ride your bike, or hit a few golf balls. Even jumping jacks etc.
4. Repeat a mantra. Find a word or phrase that helps you calm down and refocus and repeat it several times.
5. Stretch. Neck rolls and shoulder rolls are good examples of nonstrenuous yoga-like movements.
6. Mentally escape. Slip into a quiet room, close your eyes, and practice visualizing yourself in a relaxing scene.
7. Play some tunes. Let music carry you away from your feelings. Put in earbuds or slip out to your car.
8. Stop talking. Talking may very well ramp up your anger. Pretend your lips are glued shut for, at least, a few minutes.
9. Take action. Do something good for someone else. Pour your energy and emotions into something that’s healthy and productive.
10. Write in your journal. What you can’t say, perhaps you can write. Jot down what you’re feeling. Getting it on paper often takes it from ourselves and places it on the paper.
11. Find the most immediate solution. Try closing your eyes and thinking of what you can do in the next ten seconds that will help you calm down. Even if it’s just breathing.
12. Rehearse your response. Prevent an outburst by rehearsing what you’re going to say or how you’re going to approach the problem in the future.
13. Change your routine. If your slow commute to work makes you angry find a new route. Often times little changes in our routines adds a little excitement and decreases anger.
14. Talk to a friend. Or a relative etc. who can possibly provide a new perspective.
15. Laugh. Diffuse your anger by looking for ways to laugh, whether that’s playing with your kids, watching stand-up, or scrolling memes.
16. Practice gratitude. Take a moment to focus on what’s right. Doing so can help you neutralize anger and turn around the situation.
17. Set a timer. Give yourself a set time before you respond. This time will help you be calmer and more concise.
18. Write a letter. Write a letter or email to the person that made you angry. Then, delete it.
19. Imagine forgiving them. If you can’t go that far, you can at least pretend that you’re forgiving them, and you’ll feel your anger slip away.
20. Practice empathy. Try to walk in the other person’s shoes and see the situation from their perspective. When you tell the story or relive the events as they saw it, you may gain a new understanding and become less angry.
21. Find a creative channel. Consider painting, gardening, or writing poetry when you’re upset. Emotions are powerful muses for creative individuals. Use yours to reduce anger.
