Locations:
Search IconSearch

The Best Ways To Manage Your Anger

Rather than letting feelings of anger take over, try turning to self-awareness, mindfulness and time-outs

group of coworkers arguing and pointing fingers

Your second grader wouldn’t stop interrupting you while you were on a video conference call (which kept lagging). Then, your grocery delivery got canceled — and you have no bread, eggs or milk. And to top it off, it’s pouring rain right when you were planning to go for a run. Let’s just say you’re fuming.

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Logic and reasoning can go by the wayside when our emotions are inflamed. And when we’re really anxious, small provocations and upsets can really throw us over our thresholds. We’re stressed and we’re angry.

If you feel like you’re more agitated these days (which can all seem to blur together), you’re not alone. A 2019 NPR-IBM Watson Health poll found 84% of people surveyed believe Americans are angrier today than they were a generation ago.

We talked with registered psychotherapist Natacha Duke, MA, RP, about whether anger really is on the rise — and strategies for better managing your anger.

What is anger management?

Anger is a reflexive emotion, so it can be hard to manage. Plus, it doesn’t help that, generally, we don’t talk much about anger, or what to do if you feel overwhelmed by it.

But it’s not an impossible emotion to manage.

In fact, if you work on your awareness — knowing how your mind and body react when you become angry — you can get better at managing your anger.

“While anger is not always negative, unmanaged anger can cause physical, emotional and interpersonal difficulties,” says Duke.

But anger management can help. Essentially, it’s a set of therapeutic techniques and strategies designed to help you manage and express your anger in healthy and constructive ways.

Advertisement

“A first step might be to track your anger triggers, as well as your early anger warning signs,” she continues. “Identifying the types of things that make you mad and implementing healthy coping strategies early on is essential.”

The goal of anger management isn’t to eliminate anger entirely (after all, it lets us know when we need to make changes), but to learn to cope with anger in healthier ways. This management can include working with a professional. But a big part of it is making space for your feelings earlier on to prevent your emotions from becoming difficult to control.

Are people really angrier these days?

Over the years, research has shown that anxiety and depression are on the rise, especially for young adults in the U.S. The relationship between anger and anxiety and depression is bi-directional — meaning that anger can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression and vice versa.

Anger is also the result of feeling out of control, which was a common feeling throughout the course of the pandemic.

Tips to deal with your anger in a healthy way

Instead of avoiding your anger and bottling it up, anger management encourages you to make peace with the little red monster inside.

Here are some tips for how to manage your anger in a healthy and productive way.

Take a pause

Anger can hit you like a wave in the moment. That’s why a simple practice like stopping and counting to 10 can help put a pause on it. This may sound like something you teach a pre-schooler, but taking a pause or even giving yourself a mini “timeout” can do wonders.

It can give you the time you need to cool down and think more rationally, while also helping you think before you speak. Often, we end up saying something we regret when overcome by anger. Taking a mindful pause can help prevent your anger from escalating further.

There’s a variety of ways you can take a pause when you feel anger coming on, including:

  • Count to 10.
  • Close your eyes for a moment.
  • Leave the room for a moment.
  • Get some fresh air or go for a walk.
  • Focus on a couple of things in your environment that you can see, feel and touch. For example: Name three things you can see, three things you can touch and three things you can hear.
  • Focus on a calming thing in front of you (such as trees outside your window or the blue sky).
  • Focus on a calming sound (like birds chirping or wind blowing).

Take deep breaths

Whether your anger is toward someone else, yourself or a situation, a moment of breathwork can help reset your mind. Breathwork has been shown to help put you in a more relaxed state, calm your nervous system and take you out of fight-or-flight mode.

Advertisement

Keep it simple: Inhale deeply through your nose, hold it for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. You can use this breathing tactic before, during or after taking a pause.

Reflect on why you’re angry

Another way to help manage our anger reflex is to acknowledge what we’re feeling. By labeling the emotion and what is making us angry, we’re able to think more rationally.

“A self-compassionate stance can be helpful for allowing space for our big feelings because it acknowledges that they are part of being human. Giving space to our difficult emotions, without judgment, will help to manage them,” says Duke.

The first step is simply acknowledging how you’re feeling by admitting to yourself: “I’m feeling angry and that’s OK.” Then, gently ask yourself: Why? It can be hard at first to admit what you’re angry about (or who you’re angry with), but defining the reason can help create a roadmap out of your anger spiral.

Find ways to relax

This can look different for everyone, but you should have a toolkit in the back of your mind with strategies to bring you back to a place of calm. Once you acknowledge and normalize your anger, trying to anchor yourself through your breath can be helpful.

Here are some things to try:

  • Connect with nature. A walk in the park, some deep breaths in your backyard or even taking a moment to water your plants can do the trick.
  • Take a cold shower. Often, when we’re feeling angry, it makes us stuck in our heads. A cold shower can help you feel more grounded and connected to your body — not your thoughts.
  • Exercise. Physical activity is a great way to release built-up tension and reduce stress. It can be as simple as going for a brisk walk or doing a quick workout.
  • Talk to someone you trust. You may find the most relief if you can let yourself vent to a friend or loved one. Find someone who has the space to give you the support you need.
  • Express yourself with art. Sometimes, the best way to express our anger isn’t through speaking at all. If you feel like you can communicate how you’re feeling through art, music or the written word, this can be a great coping mechanism.
  • Practicing gratitude. Keeping a journal where you write down two or three things that you’re grateful for can contribute wonders to your happiness.

Advertisement

Cope with humor

Sometimes, the thing that can help calm your anger is to not take yourself too seriously. There are many valid reasons to be angry — it’s a normal emotion after all. But if you’re able, it can be helpful to look back at events that once made you angry in a different light.

Whether you’re upset over missing a gathering because you were running late or because you got cut off by a driver on the road, it’s good to remember that things like these aren’t experiences that will impact your life in any major way. Learning to laugh at missteps can help take the pressure off yourself and others — and ultimately, extinguish your anger.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation or deep relaxation, can help you stay present in the moment and avoid getting caught up in angry thoughts. Take steps upfront, like calming your body through yoga or your mind through guided meditation.

Address how you feel in a healthy way

It can be tough to deal with anger when the frustration you’re feeling is toward someone else. Oftentimes, placing blame on others can increase tension and delay conflict resolution.

When expressing your feelings, use “I” statements to avoid sounding accusatory. For example, try saying: “I feel upset when...” instead of “You always...”

Advertisement

When to seek help

Deciding when to seek help for anger issues can vary from person to person, but there are some common signs and indicators that may suggest it’s time to get help from a professional. Regardless, there’s no shame in wanting to get better at dealing with your anger.

You should consider getting help if your anger is:

  • Adding stress to your relationships.
  • Causing you to do poorly in work or school.
  • Affecting your everyday health and stress levels.
  • Leading to physical aggression.

A mental health professional can help you assess your concerns and provide guidance, support and tailored strategies to help you manage and express your anger in healthier ways.

Learn more about our editorial process.

Related Articles

Person sitting at desk at home office, sipping from steaming mug and typing on laptop
November 4, 2024/Mental Health
How You Can Work From Home and Still Be Productive

Schedule breaks, stand and stretch, and rely on alarms, to-do lists and other tools to help keep you focused

Professional person flustered by paperwork swirling all around them
October 31, 2024/Mental Health
Signs of Job Burnout — and 5 Ways To Beat It

Work burnout can leave you exhausted and frustrated at work and beyond, but you can beat it by setting boundaries and surrounding yourself with positivity

Two business people in the workplace, with skyrise buildings in the background, shaking hands
October 28, 2024/Mental Health
Learn How To Build Trust in Any Relationship

Authenticity, respect and honest communication about boundaries and expectations are key when earning someone’s trust

Close-up of hands of person sitting, legs crossed, facing another person
October 28, 2024/Mental Health
How You Can Rebuild Trust in Any Relationship

You can regain someone’s trust by sincerely apologizing, setting expectations and building new healthy boundaries

Caregiver carrying child, with other caregiver walking with arms around them, walking down hotel hallway
October 28, 2024/Mental Health
Protecting Your (and Your Kids’) Mental Health After a Natural Disaster

Following routines, avoiding images and talking honestly, but age-appropriately, about what happened can help you and your family cope with a traumatic event

A couple sitting together, looking sad/distressed
October 28, 2024/Mental Health
How To Work Through Your Trust Issues

If someone has hurt you, it’s important to express your needs before you move forward with a relationship

Illustration of person gaslighting their partner with common gaslighting phrases like, “I was just joking around"
October 24, 2024/Sex & Relationships
Understanding Gaslighting: What It Means, How To Recognize It and What To Do

If someone is making you doubt your sense of self and overriding your needs or ignoring your emotions, that someone may be gaslighting you

Person comforting stressed out person, with coffee cups and open laptop on table
October 23, 2024/Mental Health
Stressed Out? Use These 14 Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Fill your coping toolbelt with healthy skills like getting outside, writing in a journal, volunteering, laughing or talking with a friend

Trending Topics

Female and friend jogging outside
How To Increase Your Metabolism for Weight Loss

Focus on your body’s metabolic set point by eating healthy foods, making exercise a part of your routine and reducing stress

stovetop with stainless steel cookware and glassware
5 Ways Forever Chemicals (PFAS) May Affect Your Health

PFAS chemicals may make life easier — but they aren’t always so easy on the human body

jar of rice water and brush, with rice scattered around table
Could Rice Water Be the Secret To Healthier Hair?

While there’s little risk in trying this hair care treatment, there isn’t much science to back up the claims

Ad