If you suspect you have anger problems, there are steps you can take to reduce the impact of your anger and get it back under control.
Anger should not be thought of as a negative emotion. When we label emotions as negative, we often end up feeling worse because not only do we have to deal with the problem, but also the way we might criticise ourselves for having that problem.
Our counselling services in Newcastle provide some tips below in how you can work towards improving your anger.
Enjoy Some Exercise
If you feel yourself becoming angry, going for a walk, running, hitting a punch bag, and other forms of exercise can help to de-escalate the angry feelings and improve anger management.
By engaging in exercise, you are burning off the adrenaline and cortisol that often builds up and leads to angry outbursts. It also channels your stress and anger into a more helpful outlet.
If you increase the amount of physical activity you engage in, particularly if you find it enjoyable, you will have a useful outlet for pent-up energy before it can spill over into conflict or anger.
Identify Your Triggers
Often when you are angry, there might have been things going on that you feel “triggered” your feelings of anger. Counselling in Newcastle (or online counselling) with our service can help you work through any difficulties that might cause your anger to come up.
These might be comments, people, events or places that hit a nerve or activate feelings of anger, leading to you acting out in ways that are destructive or unhelpful.
Because of this, anger management counselling can be helpful in working with you to identify your triggers, which can then be worked with to help you develop more choice and better ways of responding in these situations.
Find Healthy Ways to Express Yourself
Assertiveness (as opposed to aggression) can help you to express yourself, feel heard, and reinforce boundaries when you feels that you are being treated unfairly.
Stating your needs and feelings may feel unnatural at first, but it will help you to put forward your feelings in a less confrontational, though assertive way, so that you can feel safely heard during times of stress and conflict.
As an example, saying “I feel uncomfortable about the way I’m being spoken to” as opposed to a statement such as “you’re being annoying” or another ‘blame’ statement puts across your feelings as well as highlighting your needs and boundaries.
Our experienced team of psychologists, therapists, and anger management counsellors in Newcastle can help you develop and practice assertiveness skills so that you can express yourself better and maintain control during escalating situations.
Pause Before Acting Out
If you feel anger rising after being triggered, it might have been tempting in the past to ‘lash out’ verbally or physically.
Practice pausing and breathing before you speak – sometimes counting to 3 or taking a few deep breaths before responding can help to put some separation between you and your feelings of anger.
It can also create a helpful space where you can gather your thoughts about how you want to respond during times of conflict or anger.
Anger Management Counselling isn’t just listening to your problems, but it can also involve teaching you strategies to help you create space and control during times of anger.
For Further Information
There are a number of counselling approaches that can help you learn to manage your anger and cope with adversity more readily.
Our counselling services in Newcastle offer face-to-face and online anger management counselling to help you get the support you need in a way that suits you.
If you would like help with overcoming your anger problems, fill in the box below or call us on 07966645198 to speak to a member of the team today.
Best wishes,
Dr Stuart Sadler
Lead Clinical Psychologist
