Anger Management Exercises to Help You Stay Calm

Why anger management exercises work
Most of us have “lost it” during a big family argument or while being stuck in bad traffic on the way to work. While anger doesn’t feel good, it can help us feel motivated to change things that aren’t working for us, like relationship issues or uncomfortable work situations.
But anger is a strong emotion. If left unchecked, it can lead to unhappiness or a mental health condition. It can also cause you to act unreasonably or aggressively. This can result in social isolation, health problems, and abuse.

Some people are more likely to experience anger than others. People under extreme stress may have trouble controlling their anger. Researchers have found that children with mental health conditions and adults with traumatic brain injuries are also more likely to have overwhelming anger.
Help and support is out there. Research has found that anger management exercises improved well-being and reduced the number of angry outbursts in each of these at-risk groups. And if you struggle to calm your anger, these exercises may help you, too.

Anger management exercises to try
Anger outbursts can cause harm to you and the people around you.
A good way to calm anger and prevent any harm is to use anger management exercises. These techniques work by first calming you down and then helping you move forward in a positive way.

Use the following anger management exercises any time it feels your anger is overwhelming, until you feel calm:
Learn to breathe
When you’re angry, you might notice your breathing gets quicker and shallower. One easy way to calm your body and reduce your anger is to slow and deepen your breathing.
Try breathing slowly into your nose and out your mouth. Breathe deeply from your belly rather than your chest. Repeat breaths as necessary.

Progressive muscle relaxation
Muscle tension is another sign of stress in the body that you may feel when you’re angry.
To help calm down, you may want to try a progressive muscle relaxation technique. This involves slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group in the body, one at a time.
Consider starting at the top of your head and move your way to your toes, or vice versa.

Visualize yourself calm
Imagining a relaxing place may help you reduce your anger. Sit in a quiet, comfortable space from your memory and close your eyes for a few moments. Let your imagination flow.
As you think of what that relaxing place is like, think about small details. How does it smell or sound? Think about how calm and good you feel in that place.

Get moving
Besides being healthy for your bodily functions, regular exercise is very effective at reducing stress in the body and mind. Try to get some exercise every day to keep stress and anger at bay.

Recognize your triggers
Usually, people get angry about specific things over and over again. Spend some time thinking about what makes you angry. Make an effort to avoid or deal with those things, if possible.
Stop and listen
Change your thinking