10 tricks to calm down quickly when anger eats you

Anger eats– Either because you have a bad day at work, as a result of a misunderstanding with a friend, because you had a fight with your partner or because your boss has decided to endorse your tasks – just in case you get bored with yours.

The mental state in which we find ourselves greatly influences how irresistible we are. In stressful situations, many of us become a real time bomb to explode.

With the idea of ​​placating these feelings, Margarita Tartakovsky collects in Psych Central some advice from experts in medicine and psychology to restore peace of mind instantly, regardless of the factor or situation that is putting us on the nerves.

As the Roman philosopher Seneca said “anger is an acid that can do more damage to the container in which it is stored than in anything on which it is poured”, and the truth is that at the end of the day the one that is mentally depleted by the anger, has a headache and may even have gotten into a real mess with the boss or a friend, it’s you. It was worth it? No. Learn to control your anger eats.

Anger eats: Breath deeply

A classic: take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds and eject it slowly. In addition to relaxing the rhythm of your pulsations and oxygenating the brain, you will be gaining some time to think and reassure yourself before answering an expletive to those who deserve it less.

Breathing is the fastest and most reliable strategy to calm a mental state of craving, and anyone can use it whenever they want, explains psychologist Melany Tromba. If we can also close our eyes and put our hands on our stomachs – near the diaphragm – to notice how our body fills with air, the feeling of relaxation will be greater.

The deep breaths will activate the parasympathetic nervous system of the body, also considered as the scale system towards calmness, says Tromba who recommends doing these exercises when we stop at a traffic light, while waiting in a queue before entering a meeting or occasionally in our own workplace.

Discharge muscle tension

The main muscles of the body are those that accumulate the greatest adrenaline load and stimulate them will help us expel all that accumulated energy. As psychologist Karin Lawson explains, the idea is to quickly use the excess energy that accompanies intense emotions to generate a sense of calm.

It is clear that you are not going to do abdominal exercises at work or on public transport, but, as far as possible, raise your arms by stressing them or lifting a heavy object – in the purest Harrijasotzaile style but without lifting 100 stones. Kilos, moving a chest of drawers or books may be enough – it will help us. Another trick, sit and get up from the seat several times as a squat.

Divert attention from what unnerves you

It is important to put our senses to work to distract attention from what enervates us. For example, if the trigger is something we have seen, it is best to start the touch, smell or taste to relax. According to Tromba, looking at a picture or picture, savoring a piece of mint , pouring creams or aromatic oils in our hands or lighting a candle and smelling it, can help distract us from the focus of our anger.

Look for affectionate and reassuring gestures

A simple soft touch can also induce a state of calm, says Lawson. This can be achieved through a hug, with a massage or a caress. As we are not going to ask anyone to give us a squeeze or slide their fingers through our stressed neck, try doing it yourself by giving yourself warmth and warmth with your own hands.

Get away from the focus of anger

It is essential to remove from our mind – and sight, touch, smell and hearing, if possible – the stressful factor. When we are anxious or upset about something, it usually occupies a significant space in our head, explains Tromba, distracts us, depletes our energy and prevents us from concentrating on what we have to move away as soon as possible.

If you cannot physically flee the place of conflict, do it mentally. The psychologist recommends writing your thoughts and feelings at that time answering questions like what is bothering you most about this situation? Would you like to face her again later? What is your reaction to the problem?

Then, take the paper and leave it on a shelf: The idea is to move away from emotions and tension to respond to the situation more effectively, explains the psychologist. You can always reread it after a while and realize that it was a fool in which it is not worth wasting time or, in the worst case, resume anger based on what was written.

Sing a great song

According to Lawson, singing makes we breathe deeply and helps reduce the intensity of the situation that is bothering us. The theme you decide to sing will be the key to ending frustration or increasing your anger eats. You choose.

Think green

The psychology of colors can help us move from a state of tension to one of calm. We can, for example, paint the walls with colors that convey relaxation, such as green or violet, or use them more in everyday dress.

Lawson argues that these positive stimuli can help us return to a neutral state and stop wasting energy on distressing thoughts or situation, if only a little. The psychologist suggests that using a coloring book – special for adults, specifies – to “induce a sense of calm through creative repetition.

The importance of living space

Apart from the creative’s just mentioned, it is clear that in a moment of fury the last thing you need is to be surrounded by a crowd. Finding space to calm down and think about what just happened will help you see the situation with perspective. If you cannot go outside, make a call, comment on the work chat or go with a partner to the landing of the stairs to chat will be good options.

Learn from others: what happy people can teach you

Not everyone relaxes the same things, but surely you will have met people who have a greater ability to be relaxed and just get nervous. How will they do it? Lawson proposes to learn from them by brainstorming from which you can get additional ideas to keep you calm.

The idea is to quickly use the excess energy that accompanies intense emotions to generate a sense of calm

There are people who get it through yoga or meditation, others try to go to baths or relaxing massages often, and there are those who simply need to count to a hundred and even people whose presence is simply relaxing. You can try the different strategies until you find the one that works best for you.

A routine that relieves stress

Beyond these quick strategies to find calm instantly. Experts recommend looking for relaxing habits that help us eliminate stress, but it is important to do it every day.

If we wait to charge the mobile battery when it is 25% and we only have five minutes to charge it, it will not take us long enough to check the email, download a document or make a call. We have to have a routine that recharges us 100% regularly, exemplifies Tromba.