Anger is a natural emotion. It occurs as a defensive response to a perceived attack or threat to our well being. Anger is accompanied by psychological changes including the flow of adrenaline hormone, high blood pressure and increased heart beat. Anger can lead to physical problems when not properly managed like chronic headaches, sleep disorders, digestive problems, high blood pressure and even a heart attack.

Some of the effective anger management skills have been mentioned below:

• Take a “timeout” Count to 10 before reacting. This will diffuse the temper.

• Take a break from the person you are angry with. This will help your frustrations subside a bit.

• Once you are calm, express the anger. It is always healthy to express your anger in a nonconfrontational way. This prevents the situation from getting worse.

• Physical activity can provide an outlet for the emotions. So, engage in some physical activity like brisk walk or run, especially when you are about to erupt.

• Think carefully before you say anything otherwise in anger you are likely to say something which you would regret. There are lots of possibilities to get sidetracked when you are angry.

• Identify solutions to the situations. Instead of quarreling over the situation, try to resolve the problem with the person who made you angry.

• Avoid criticizing and blaming others. This may make the other person angry or resentful- and thus increase the tension.

• Don’t hold grudge. Try to forgive the person you are angry with. It is unrealistic to expect everyone to behave the way you want to.

• Try to diffuse the tension by using humor. Don’t use sarcasm- it can hurt the person emotionally.

• Practice relaxation techniques. Learning skills to relax and distress helps control ones temper. These relaxation techniques may include deep-breathing exercises, listening to music, writing a novel or practicing yoga, etc.

Anger need to be expressed. Suppressed anger stays with you for a long time and may lead to mental health problems like depressions and physical problems like headaches. Continuously suppressing anger can curtail ones ability to act in the face of real threat to ones well being. The goal of anger management is to help one find healthy ways to express ones anger and resolve the problem that led to anger.