Conquering your anger
 

Anger: What is it?
Anger - a strong and potentially destructive emotion in the human mind. Everyone is aware of this emotion. Anger is a corrosive feeling that can ruin our mental and physical health. It can cause high blood-pressure, violent urges, stress, and lack of peace of mind. People, especially teenagers, can easily become angry. At times, anything and everything can infuriate us. So what do you do during these times? Do you try to control your anger? Or do you let it out?

Anger is an emotion that everyone is bound to experience at some point. However, there is a distinction to be made between expressing anger positively and negatively. Venting a bit from time to time isn't necessarily a bad thing. But people often find themselves at one extreme or the other - either suppressing anger inside or letting it explode into something hazardous like road rage. You can try to express your anger in a safe and healthy way. Be assertive instead of aggressive. If you need to, throw a cushion or hit a pillow, instead of lashing out at yourself or somebody else. Use anger to incite a constructive or creative activity. Try dancing or exercising. Projects that you find personally rewarding can also help you deal with anger.

Conquer your anger, before it conquers you
Anger is just like other emotions, such as love, sorrow, and joy. The trick to managing it is how you express it. All you need is self-control. Using it can keep you from saying or doing something that you may regret later. Self-control is not easy to achieve, but it's definitely worth striving toward. So next time you feel yourself growing angry, relax yourself and put the self-control in check. Anger can often make mountains out of molehills, so remember to keep things in perspective.

Some simple steps you can take:

1. Breathe deeply, and try to picture your breath.
2. Tell yourself to 'relax' and to 'take it easy'.
3. Visualize a calming scene from your memory, or even from your imagination.
4. Practice some non-strenuous exercises.They relax your mind and muscles.
5. Practice yoga.
6. Shift your focus to something completely different.
7. Identify the things that trigger your anger and work to manage them.

After you've calmed down, analyze the problem or cause of your anger and try to find a solution. Humor can diffuse anger. Try to look at the humorous aspect of the situation. Try laughing at yourself. It can really lighten you up. Instead of being angry, try laughing or having some fun!

Although the above steps are useful in most cases, sometimes the feeling of anger is too intense to be dealt with so simply; therefore, extra help may be needed at times. Consult a psychologist or counselor when you feel consistent, uncontrollable rage that lasts for a prolonged period of time. You can also attend anger management classes in order to control your anger. Learning how to effectively deal with strong emotions is an essential part of growing up, so remember that while it's okay to feel these emotions, it's not okay to let them become destructive to yourself or to others in your life.

It's not bad to feel angry. As I mentioned above, anger is just another emotion. It can be easily handled. Anger management can be an effective tool for us to solve our problems constructively, and it's a tool that will last a lifetime.