Managing Your Temper
Anger is a strong, powerful but normal emotion. Everyone loses their temper now and again but for some people anger can become a problem. Learning to manage your temper can take effort and patience.
If you get to the point where you’re so angry you’re ‘seeing red’ try taking some long deep breaths or counting slowly to 20. Walking away is a much better idea than kicking off or starting a fight. Doing something that distracts you can also help, like physical exercise, listening to music or doing something creative. They can give you space to cool down and take stock.
Once your temper dies down you need to think about what made you angry. Has something happened or has it just come from nowhere? Are you under pressure at school or home? Is there a better way to handle things rather than flying off the handle? Try writing down your feelings so that the next time it happens you can express your feelings more easily. Think about how your behaviour affects other people and what consequences there might be. Always be wary around people who seem overcome with anger - you don’t want to get hurt if they lash out at you.
Talking things through with someone you trust is a good idea especially if you often feel:
- irritable and bad tempered
- angry or annoyed at yourself
- anger that makes you want to hurt yourself or someone else
Your Youth Worker, School Counsellor and Nurse are some of the professionals who can give you advice and support.
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