Difficulty: Explorer (Level 1)
Many people have strong physical urges when they get angry.
Anger isn’t just an emotion in our brains. Our bodies also react strongly. It can often make us feel like we need to move to get that energy out. Here are some ways to help lower your stress and anger levels.
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Focus on your senses. When you are so angry that you feel the urge to throw something, pay attention to your senses. Name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. This pulls your focus to the present and away from the big emotions.
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Get your energy out. Channel your angry energy into a safe, physical activity. This could be an exercise like running or hitting a punching bag. You could even squeeze a stress ball as hard as you can until the strong feeling goes away.
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Take deep breaths. Simple box breathing can help you calm down and feel better, no matter where you are. Breathe in for four counts, and hold it in for four. Then, exhale for four counts, and hold for four before repeating the steps again.
But be aware if your emotions stop you from doing your daily activities or cause you to hurt yourself or others. You should talk to a trusted adult about seeing a mental health expert.
This question was answered by James Yu, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong.
