Tackling The Problem Of Anger

If you have a problem with anger, the best way to tackle it is to discuss it with someone, a friend, a family member, partner or counsellor. Often the best way of defusing your emotions is to just talk about it.

Here are a few other suggestions:

To know what makes you angry and how to best manage it is an excellent first step. Assertiveness or self-awareness training can enable you to understand your emotions and express your frustrations, verbally allowing for a pressure release so your anger does not boil over.

When things frustrate you, the best thing to do is to communicate that frustration to the person who has caused these feelings. It is much better to recognise that you are angry and make that person aware of it than to bottle it up. Verbally (but not aggressively) expressing your anger provides you with:o A healthy outlet for your frustrationso An opportunity to resolve the issues and defuse tensions

Stronger self-esteem in the knowledge that you have stood up for yourself

When you start to feel the anger welling up inside of you and you cannot see a way of expressing yourself verbally in a non-aggressive fashion, then the best thing you can do is to walk away. This will give you an opportunity to calm down and revisit the issue later when you are able to discuss it in a more relaxed manner.

Irritability can be a side effect of a poor diet or ill health, and pent up anger can create physical and mental health problems if left to fester. So the answer is to eat well, exercise and to provide yourself with plenty of activities which enable you to release your frustrations (e.g. jogging, martial arts, squash or tennis).