Managing Angry Outbursts: 5 Tips To Help Tame Your Anger

manage anger outbursts tips

Anger is one of the most powerful and strongest emotions that a human being can have. Anger, on one hand, can be a motivator and on the other hand, it can be destructive. Many times, people, in a fit of anger, lash out at their loved ones or strangers verbally or violently. This reaction caused by anger can destroy your personal and social life.

There are several types of anger that a human being experiences and any of those levels can escalate to a point where a person becomes prone to angry outbursts. These outbursts are physical and verbal and can involve fighting, throwing things, road rage, screaming, or verbal abuse.

Also Read: Free Online Anger Management Courses of 2021

Angry outbursts can be triggered by being in a hostile environment or sometimes it can be an underlying symptom of a psychological or mood disorder. Many a time, angry outbursts can also be triggered by substance abuse or brain chemical imbalance.

Some mental health concerns that can contribute to angry outbursts are:

  1. Depression
  2. Anxiety
  3. Intermittent Explosive Disorder
  4. Bipolar Disorder
  5. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  6. Borderline Personality Disorder
  7. Oppositional Defiant Disorder

If the angry outbursts are related to the above-mentioned disorders, then it is recommended that you contact a professional mental healthcare provider for additional treatment.

Warning Signs Of Anger Outburst

Dealing with angry outbursts isn’t easy and the frustration of not being able to control the anger can intensify the feeling. The first thing that you need to do is understand the warning signs of an upcoming outburst. Some signs can be:

  1. Irritability
  2. Increased energy
  3. Racing thoughts
  4. Tremors
  5. Heart palpitations
  6. Tightness in the chest

A person may experience one or all of these signs but some people may experience other signs. The signs of angry outbursts can vary from person to person. It is important to be aware of your mind and body to understand what can trigger your anger.

How to Manage Angry Outbursts

These exercises mentioned below can help you tame your anger and calm you down when you’re experiencing angry outbursts.

1. Breathing Exercises

The most commonly used technique to tame anger is practicing breathing exercises. The goal of these exercises is to slow your breathing and reset the pattern of your breathing to bring calm to your mind and body. When someone is dealing with an angry outburst, their heart rate increases; breathing exercises help slow down the heart rate to a normal rhythm.

All you need to do is breathe deeply through your nose, hold the breath for a few seconds, and slowly breathe out through your mouth. Your focus during this exercise should be on your breathing.

Also Read: Best Self Care Ideas for Mental Health

2. Visualization

For many people, visualizing their happy place during an outburst can help redirect their energy and focus to a calm, comfortable, and soothing place in their head. Visualization can help redirect your focus on a certain place, memory, or event where you felt most calm.

This practice can help serve as a distraction from whatever your trigger was and distance you from the negative.

3. Relaxation Exercises

During a highly stressful situation, our fight or flight response is activated. Practicing relaxation exercises can help serve as a distraction as well as bring a soothing, calming effect on your mind and body. You can practice these exercises by sitting or laying down.

This exercise allows you to focus on your body’s muscle movement and divert your mind’s attention to concentrate on achieving calm.

4. Physical Exercises

Physical exercise is another way to help redirect your aggression. Either exercise such as yoga or kickboxing, running or walking, physical exertion is a great way to direct your energy and also get an endorphin high to improve your mental health.

Many anger management techniques encourage people to focus their energy and bottled up emotions on physical exercises. Physically exerting yourself can provide stress relief and can help release negative energy.

5. Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice that requires us to slow down and focus on our present moment. With the help of mindfulness, we can learn to stop, pause, and analyze our thoughts. Some things you can ask yourself during such practice can be:

Why am I angry over this situation?

  1. Am I projecting other feelings or fear onto this situation?
  2. Is my anger justifiable over this situation?
  3. How am I responding to my anger? Physically and emotionally?
  4. Is this anger stemming from other factors that I haven’t considered?
  5. With mindfulness, you can become aware of your thoughts and surroundings that can help you understand why and how your anger is making you feel.
  6. Anger Management Tips
  7. Other than the above-mentioned tips to tame your anger, you can try other tips such as:
  8. Join anger management classes or support groups
  9. Create anger management strategies
  10. Seek help from a professional

Contact emergency helpline numbers

iCall – 022-25521111 or 9152987821 (icall@tiss.edu)

NAMI – 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or (info@nami.org)

If you or someone you know is an immediate threat, then it is highly recommended that you contact your nearest emergency services.

Learning how to manage anger is important and can help you preserve your relationships, health, and life. Untreated anger issues can cause extreme health concerns and can negatively affect the quality of your life.

There are many online resources available to help you with anger management and you can always contact us or write to us at info@calmsage.com.

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Best Stress Management Apps to Live a Stress-Free Life

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