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Activities for Anger Management Skills

Anger is a normal human emotion, but it can quickly become a destructive force in your personal and professional relationships. Activities for anger management skills can help identify your emotions and control your state of mind.

  1. Work It Out With Exercise

    • When you feel anger boiling up, remove yourself from the situation and get your blood pumping in a different way. Exercise releases endorphins, which are mood-boosting brain chemicals that can help lift the cloud of anger and help you see the situation in a more rational frame of mind.

    Put It in Perspective

    • Anger expert David Leonhart suggests asking yourself pointed questions to put the situation raising your anger into perspective. Will the cause of your anger matter in ten years? What is the worst consequence of the cause of your anger? What if the situation were reversed, and you were the one doing whatever it is that is currently making you angry? What would you expect someone else's reaction towards you to be?

    Count to Ten

    • The age-old recommendation of counting to ten can help manage your anger by giving you pause before acting on your anger. Taking a deep, slow breath between each breath, Leonhart recommends, can help you relax further. Remain still and silent while counting so that you can avoid saying or doing something you will later regret.

    Use I Statements

    • When expressing your anger, frame your statements with "I" instead of "You," recommends the Mayo Clinic. For example, instead of saying "You never listen to what I'm saying," try "I'm frustrated because I don't feel heard by you." Reframing your statements prevents the other person from going on the defensive and escalating the situation.

    Recognize Why

    • Consider why you reacted to a specific situation with anger. Analyzing your reactions can help you control them in the future. Did the situation make you feel powerless, shameful, embarrassed or jealous? Uncovering these underlying emotions and getting to the root of your anger can help you manage your actions and reactions in the heat of the moment.

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