It is a known fact that our emotions greatly impact our physical well-being. The amount of pent-up frustration caused by anger may hurt us physically, and therefore, anger management is truly needed. In order to obtain that peace of mind and manage anger long-term, we have to work on our emotional as well as physical health. There are a number of daily habits that may help us reduce the negative emotions, which we will be explaining on this week's journal. Read on!
1. Take a time out
It is important to realize when it is time to take a minute for yourself. If you sense an anger building up, take some time away to think about how you want to respond before you speak. Take and release deep breaths to cool yourself down. After your anger has subsided, consider what you will say when you return and face the person. Doing this will save you from unecessary drama and saying something out of anger that you might later regret.
2. Practice relaxation techniques
Practicing simple relaxation strategies can help you soothe your angry feelings. If you practice these strategies often, you will find that it is easier to resort to them when you feel anger emerging. It is important to find which techniques work best for you to help you process your thoughts with a clearer mindset.
For example, many people enjoy aromatherapy to help them relax. Whether you use essential oils in a bath or in a diffuser, this is a great stress reliever and relaxation tool that is easily accessible. Another common technique is to listen to soothing music. This can help take your mind away from the situation at hand, and help you re-center your thoughts.
3. Get daily exercise
Physical exercise gives you a chance to release your emotions, and therefore is one of the most effective ways to reduce your anger and stress. Exercise will also help increase the release of endorphins in your body, which will naturally make you feel better and reduce your stress levels. However, be reminded that if you want to exercise to blow off your steam, don't push yourself to the extreme as this can harm your heart health.
Consistency is the key to really see an impact exercise may bring for your anger management, as it takes more than one workout a week to get the health benefits that exercise provides. Try to get in an exercise that you prefer at least 3-4 times a week and get your heart rate up.
4. Eat the right foods
As our brain is connected to the gut, you may also want to reconsider the foods you're consuming. Fast food and processed foods are full of chemicals and have negative impact on your body. It can lead to an influx of bad bacteria in the gut. This type of environment can directly impact your mood making you feel cranky and filled with dramatic mood swings. Therefore, this proves that our gut microbiome plays a crucial role in our overall health, including mental health.
One way to relieve your anger is to eat foods in their natural, whole, unprocessed state. You want to focus on eating proteins, fresh vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. You also want to avoid extreme dieting and dieting in general, due to of increased irritability when we feel hungry.
5. Try to find the solution of your problem
Instead of pining on your angry emotions, work on finding a solution to the issue at hand. Be aware of the things that are out of your control, and understand that you cannot change them. Knowing what you can control will let you expend your limited energy in the most effective way possible. The time you waste trying to change situations that are out of your control could be spent on things that you do have control over, which would then allow you to make productive progress and eventually, come up with a useful solution.
