Controlling Anger: Tips to Living a Happier Life

Anger is a natural feeling.  Every human being must have experienced anger at some point in his life. Even saints were not exempted from experiencing anger. 

But do consider this - anger, if left uncontrolled, can often be destructive. When it becomes destructive, it may lead to a series of hurtful events, such as physical and emotional blows, verbal abuses, and even death. In order to prevent these unfortunate situations from happening, anger reduction is a must.

Anger reduction may come in many ways. One effective way of lessening the degree of anger is to take a very deep breath and then counting slowly backwards, starting from ten to one. This helps relax the mind and calm the nerves.  Before you even notice it, you are not as angry as you have been a while ago.  

You may also choose to spend some time alone with yourself. Isolate yourself from the very thing that causes you to be angry.  Bonding with nature or listening to soothing music by yourself may provide an effective way of anger reduction.

Next, take a walk, jog, or run around. Get your bicycle and ride to town. Do something that will make you physically active. By the time you are done with any physical activity, you have almost forgotten why you have been angry in the first place.

Another anger reduction tip is to vent out your feelings of anger by writing. Go ahead, get a pen and paper and write every single thing you have against another person. When you sense you have destroyed his character enough, tear the paper into pieces.  You really would not want to show what you have written to the other person.  Writing your thoughts down is just a means for you to express yourself, not destroy any ties of friendship you have left. 

One other anger reduction tip is to do something productive.  Channel destructive ways of dealing with anger to constructive ones.  For instance, play the piano instead of punching your friend.  Write poetry instead of lashing out words that could hurt another person.   Sing instead of screaming insulting words at another.  Write a song or plant a garden. Sometimes, a person’s creativity is enhanced when he is angry.  Make the most out of that circumstance.

To lessen the degree of anger, it may also help if you talk about your feelings to someone else.  Look for a friend you can trust and are comfortable with.  Go out and meet where you can be free to talk for hours no end.  By talking to somebody, you are releasing some of the tensions within yourself and this makes you less angry.
Also, it may help to have a cold shower.  Anger can make you feeling hot, restless and jittery.  Having a cold shower may, therefore, provide you with an antidote to make you feel more relaxed than and definitely not as angry as you used to be.

These are but a few anger reduction tips to keep in mind.  Learn to control your anger and you can lead a much happier and peaceful life.