How to Concentrate Anger Into Strength

Some people's lives are ruined by anger. If it is inappropriately expressed, anger can cause death, injury and heartbreak. The person who cannot control his anger will also have his life blighted. But that is not the whole story. When a person directs and harnesses his anger, he can achieve great things. People who have fought great injustices, such as slavery or the inequality of women, were angry. But, they used that same emotion to improve the lives of countless others. If you recognize that your anger is causing problems for yourself and others, you have taken the first step to changing this.

Instructions

• 1

  Accept your feelings. It is counter-productive to deny your emotions or to suppress them. Focus on your early experiences of anger. People who have been victims of abuse, or who have not been allowed to express emotions, sometimes suffer pent-up anger. Those who grow up in an environment where anger is freely and violently expressed may not learn how to deal with these feelings in a constructive, less damaging way. You may need therapy if your problems are deep-seated.

• 2

  Explore your thought processes. According to the Nasa Work/Life Report, people who have problems with anger often have a negative reaction to life's stresses. If such a person has a car problem, for instance, she automatically wonders why things always happen to her, fueling feelings of helplessness and resentment. If you react in this way, try switching your automatic responses to something calmer and more detached.

• 3

  Consider cognitive-behavioral therapy if you want to change your thought processes. A cognitive-behavioral therapist will give you specific exercises that will help you to identify your patterns of behavior. She will then teach you how to change these patterns, by replacing your responses with others that are more constructive. This is a practical sort of therapy.

• 4

  Develop alternative coping strategies. Learn to recognize signs of mounting anger in yourself. Give a simple excuse, such as, "Let's discuss this later today; I need some time to think about it." Use exercise, such as running or walking, as a way to calm down. Attend yoga classes and learn breathing techniques. You can use these coping strategies in times of stress and anger.

• 5

  Acknowledge the positive sides of your nature. Accept that you have strong feelings and that you can channel this in a positive way. In every community, for instance, there are people whose strength of feeling and commitment to a cause make good things happen. This may be fighting for traffic safety measures or representing the interests of a vulnerable group. Turn your anger into strength by fighting for a cause in which you believe.

• 6

  Link your developing ability to control your anger with finding a new focus for that passion. Make it work for you and for others by looking around for some constructive project that needs your help.