Do you fume a lot when someone steps on your toes? Or does your blood pressure rockets when your colleague at work refuses to carry you along on a project you are to work on together? If yes, that is "ANGER". Anger is a very common feeling and one that's okay to express. However, in line with expressing your anger, it is expedient to express it healthily. Unhealthy expressions of anger can take a toll on you, your life, your health, and your relationship with others. This is why it is necessary to get your anger under control. Getting angry is inevitable but you can control how you manage your anger. For a starter, you can begin by considering these 5 effective steps: 

1. Calm down and think before you speak: As unrealistic as this may sound especially when you're in the heat of the moment, it is very important to calm down, take a few moments to collect your thoughts before saying anything when you're angry. This would help you not to say something you will later regret. As soon as you've gathered your thoughts, express your concerns in an assertive way. State your frustrations clearly and directly without hurting others or trying to control them. You should also allow others involved in the situation to do the same. 

2. Change your mindset: We've often painted anger as the "bad guy". However, anger in itself is neither good nor bad. What matters is what we chose to do with it. This is why we need to change our mindset about anger being a bad emotion, it doesn't have to be something that will always cause us to lose our temper or be violent. We can express our anger calmly without making a fuss about it. Sometimes it is good to be angry, it helps us let go of the toxic emotion which is necessary to keep us in good health. From today, start viewing anger as something that doesn't have to be destructive and this will make it easier to control the narrative. 

3. Don't hold a grudge: Many of us have serious anger issues, that kind of anger that we let build up over time which leads to holding grudges. This is why it is important to always address the issue as soon as they happen. Don't let anger crowd out your positive feeling, it can swallow you up and leave you bitter. Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Address the issue, forgive the person who angered you, and let both of you learn from the situation and strengthen your relationship. 

4. Consider relationships: What is the relationship you have with the person with whom you are angry? Are you ready to leave everything you share go to "hell"? Many of us have beautiful relationships that we mustn't let anger to ruin. That few minutes of angry outbursts aren't worth it sometimes, if it's going to break a relationship you've been building for a while. Consider the kind of relationship you have with the person who angered you, it may soften your reaction. 

5. Last but not the least, know that you can always walk away. If the situation is too overwhelming for you and you don't think you can keep it all together, then please walk away. It's better to leave than stay and do something that you might later regret. Also, if you've noticed that your anger seems out of control, and causes you to do things you regret, or hurt those around you, seek professional help for anger issues as early as possible. 

Final words

In managing your anger, don't hold onto it, you need to let it FLOW. Remember, Anger won't fix anything, it might only make things worse. After all is said and done, take a deep breath, exhale, and LET GO ❤.

Dear reader, thank you for reading through ?. Do well to like, comment and share with your loved ones ❤️.