Anger is a very powerful emotion. There are many stages to anger like irritation, fury, and rage. Anger can be caused by physical or emotional events. Many people don’t know how to channel or control their anger. A common way to express anger is usually a violent act or an aggressive act. Life would be a lot simpler and less violent if many people knew how to control their anger.

According to the American Psychological Association, there are a few simple ways to control anger:

1. Relaxation- this method is an easy, simple way to help control anger anywhere and in any situation. When you get angry your heart rate goes up, you begin to get high blood pressure as do your level of energy and adrenaline. Breathing techniques can slow that down and keep your anger at bay.
2. Changing the way you think- put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Angry people tend to curse, swear or speak in rude ways which does not make the situation better. Put yourself in another’s shoes getting yelled at, cursed at and being talked to in a rude way, you would get angry too. So before you say something to another be careful how you speak. Speak how you would like to be spoken too.
3. Better communication; don’t jump to conclusions, don’t assume either. Many people tend to hear something like a rumor or something like that and they get upset. They get upset, than angry and often than “flip” or act out and cause many more issues that can turn into violence.
4.  Use humor. Don’t take life too seriously. Let things especially the little things roll off your shoulder. Don’t let people make you upset or ruin your day by them trying to bring others down. Try not to let anything anger you, turn into a joke you will eventually do it without thinking about and end up being a happier person when anything comes around.

These are some ways to control your anger – be sure to take them into consideration when things don’t end up going your way or when things begin to upset you. Have an anger –free day!