In 2016 we will…
Control our anger.
We all have moments of anger, we wouldn’t be human of we didn’t, but some of us are capable of handling anger in a much more positive way than others. Anger is linked to many health issues including, high blood pressure, heart attacks, depression, anxiety, colds, flu and digestive problems, which is why it is so important to understand how to calm your temper.
If you’re in a scenario where you can feel your anger levels rising one great technique is to count to ten in your head before reacting. Maybe someone has said something that you strongly disagree with or someone may have cut you up on the motorway causing you to brake hard, no matter what the situation you must teach yourself to think before you speak and give yourself that small moment to calm down and reflect on what the best course of action would be. Anger does not solve anything, in fact it is much more likely to make a situation worse.
Start paying attention to what happens to your body when you start to feel angry. What are your warning signs? Maybe you start to speak faster, you might feel hotter and your face may become flushed or you might even notice that your fists clench up. Once you recognise these signs you can then work at calming yourself down and taking control of the anger.
If you feel as though anger is taking over your life and you are unable to control this strong emotion within you there is plenty of places you can go for help. Anger management courses can vary from one on one counselling sessions to small group guidance. Speak to your GP for advice and for information about groups in your local area.
The first positive step you can make is accepting that you have a problem. Take control of your anger, before anger takes control of you.
