Anger Management - Are You a Hothead? Top Tips for Mastering Your Anger

Anger is an ugly monster – and while it’s perfectly normal for us to feel intense anger now and again, it’s usually not advisable to let it out at inappropriate moments. It’s certainly not always easy to keep it in check, and it can cause irreparable damage if we indulge in simply letting it out. The problem is not the anger itself, but how we deal, or don’t deal, with it. In fact, a common problem is keeping anger bottled up for too long rather letting off steam. Are you a hothead? Here are some top tips to master your anger. Understand you’re angry – recognise it It’s probably the trickiest part; a moment of self-reflection in which you realise that you are indeed very angry – and it’s that one moment that will change things. Learn how to recognise anger, and you’ll be able to overcome it, or use it, productively. At the very least, you’ll be able to avoid some nasty situations. When you feel your heart pumping and your blood pressure rising, such as in situations where you’re gambling, whether you play for fun or real money, you should recognise anger for what it is and should take a step back. You may not understand why you’re angry, but you should understand when you’re angry. Think first Once you’ve recognised that you’re angry, the hard part is over. That’s not to say that the rest is easy, but if you are able to step back from the situation, count to ten, and compose yourself, then you’re halfway there. If you’re angry, excuse yourself from the situation, and take a moment to gather yourself, and think. Express it Calm down. Breathe. Here’s the tricky part: express your anger – let whoever else is involved know you are angry, but do so in a calm way. This is the key to healthy anger control. Identify solutions There’s a solution to every problem, so focus on finding it. Be calm, and channel your anger into productive problem-solving. What you should understand, most of all, is that anger is completely normal. There’s no use blaming yourself for getting angry. However, it’s important to recognise it and understand where it’s coming from. It’s a form of self-discipline that you should practice, and like all forms of discipline, it takes some time to make it work for you. You’re biologically wired to get angry – it’s a great survival mechanism – but it needs to be vented in a socially acceptable way. Here’s the good news: if you get angry, it means you care. Here’s even better news: you can manage your anger.