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Techniques to Control Your Temper

Temper refers to a person's tendency to become angry. Someone with a bad temper can quickly experience anger in certain situations. Anger is a normal and healthy human emotion, but when it begins to negatively impact a person's life, finding techniques to control it is imperative. Techniques that promote a productive expression of anger may prevent the damage a bad temper exacts on a person's social and professional life.

  1. Cognitive Restructuring

    • According to the American Psychological Association, cognitive restructuring can ease angry feelings. Cognitive restructuring involves changing the way a person thinks. Since anger can produce thoughts that are overly dramatic and irrational, replacing them with rational or logical thoughts is a productive technique for temper control. When a person can implement the realization that anger is not only an ineffective way to solve a problem, but also negatively affects his emotional health, he can address and resolve the problem in a healthier way.

    Releasing Anger

    • When a person experiences anger about a problem that can't be solved, or isn't important enough to warrant anger or seek a resolution, the best technique for temper control may be releasing the anger. According to Healthline, effective techniques for releasing anger include deep breathing, stopping thoughts that increase anger, thinking of a pleasant image or experience, exercising and meditation.

    Express Anger in a Healthy Way

    • Anger, like all emotions, can be expressed in a healthy and productive way. Assertive expression is a healthy method to express anger, according to the American Psychological Association. It involves a person identifying his needs, and how he can meet them, without hurting anyone in the process. If he chooses to suppress his anger, he must convert it into a more positive emotion or behavior and then express it. Suppressing anger without actively finding a good method of releasing it can lead to hostile or passive-aggressive behaviors.

    Anger Management

    • Anger management is a process that helps an individual recognize triggers that make her angry, and teaches her how to express that anger in a healthy manner. It's intended for an individual who can't effectively control her temper to the point that her personal or professional life is suffering. Common reasons that may drive a person to seek anger management include behavior involving physical or verbal threats, physical violence against other people and frequently breaking or damaging objects. Before attending an anger management course, an individual should pay attention to, and write down, her physical and emotional responses when angry. Identifying the specific triggers that cause her to lose her temper will help personalize the anger management sessions, and produce the techniques she'll need to control her temper. Although the techniques used in anger management may be practiced without attending courses or personal sessions, according to the Mayo Clinic, it's more effective to attend classes or see an anger management counselor.

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