Stress Management: Learning How to Deal With Anger in a Healthy Way

me • relationships • lifestyle • health-wellness

by Alicia Ivey on January 12th, 2019 | No Comments »

Have you ever been really stressed or angry? I know I have and if you are human, I am sure you have as well. I have always felt guilty for feeling angry even when I had good reason to be. Currently, I am learning to come to terms with my anger. There is nothing wrong with being angry, it is what we do with it or how we react to our anger. Do we lash out at our spouse, children, or co-workers when they had nothing to do with it? That is where it becomes a problem. So how do we resolve our anger?

First of all, anger is not a bad thing. It is a defense mechanism. Anger causes our heart rate to go up and our adrenaline to increase. Some people, like me, may try to hold their anger in which is not healthy at all. One of the best things I have found for dealing with anger is exercise or doing jobs around the house. The extra energy actually helps you finish the job quicker, releases the extra pinned up energy, and gives you a sense of accomplishment once the job is complete. Once you have found a way to bring your heart rate and adrenaline levels down, if needed, you can approach the person who wronged you more calmly.

If someone you love has caused the anger, try to separate yourself from them or request a time out. This is a great example to your children. I know when my daughter would get angry, we would put her in time out to cool off and it can be a great teaching opportunity for your children. By explaining to them that Moms and Dads have to take a time out too, they will realize that their time outs have meaning and a purpose more important than just making them miserable. They will see it less as a form of punishment, but as something that everyone has to do for their health, like brushing their teeth or taking care of their personal hygiene.

When you think about it, anger is a good thing. It can help us when we, or our children, are in danger. It can keep us from being taken advantage of by others. We just have to be careful what we do with all that extra energy.

I highly recommend doing something active to release it and then find a quiet place — like that time out zone — to map out a plan to handle the situation if it is necessary. Rarely is any relationship a bed of roses and at one point, you will need a strategy to help you deal with your anger. Remember feeling angry is fine, it is what you do with it that makes the difference.

How do you deal with anger in a healthy way?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Alicia Ivey is a mother of one, a wife and a student. She enjoys helping her daughter get her modeling and acting career started, and she has enjoyed singing and speaking at different venues for over 25 years. During her spare time, Alicia enjoys freelance writing for mybabyclothes.com. Your little ones will be ready to go out on the town with their cute baby clothes, stylish baby hats or adorable baby headbands.