Anger can have adverse effects on your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Frequent outbursts can directly affect your relationship with loved ones and also take a severe toll on your professional life. If you’re facing a lot of difficulty in keeping your anger under check, these tips will help you.
Join aerobics classes: If your child is prone to temper tantrums, after-school aerobics classes can help in preventing and reducing expressions of anger [1]. Researchers found that this form of interactive exercising helps in the release of serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that acts as a mood stabiliser and booster.
Listen to classical music: Psychologists from the University of South Alabama made 56 college students listen to different genres of music after which they found that listening to classical music right after exposure to a stressor resulted in significant reductions in anger, anxiety and increased relaxation as compared to other genres or those who didn’t listen to any music.
Maintain a journal: The safest way to express your anger is by writing down about what triggered it in the first place. You can maintain a journal or diary to pen down your thoughts and feelings, especially right after you notice your temper flaring up. This will help you observe the causes behind your short temper objectively and also in dealing with this negative emotion.
Deep breathing: When you’re angry, you will notice rapid and shallow breathing. Before you let your temper get the better of you, consciously start taking deep breaths and concentrate on the oxygen entering your lungs and breathe out from your mouth. You will feel calmer, more composed and with regular deep breathing practice, you could stop your anger from taking over.
Go for a long walk: As soon as you notice a discussion is getting heated and tempers are rising, immediately ask for a time out. The trick is in taking the time out before the conversation turns into a full blown yelling match. Once you have left the room before the situation escalated, go for a long walk to calm yourself down. While brisk walking, you can get rid of the pent up anger and frustration you feel before resuming the conversation again.
Lemon oil inhalation: Researchers found evidence that lemon oil inhalation enhances positive mood and also boosts norepinephrine release [3]. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter that causes an increase in the amount of oxygen going to the brain. This enables you to think clearer and faster.