How to Control Your Anger: Conquering Irritability

It might seem as though the world and the people around you are becoming angrier and angrier. While you influence other people’s anger, there are a few things that might help you control your anger, annoyance, or rage.

Addressing irritability

Agitation can be an expression of everyday annoyance brought on by provocation, illness, or seemingly no reason at all. However, it can also be a sign of a mental health or medical condition. It may be beneficial to speak with a therapist if you experience chronic irritability that impacts your life.

If you notice increased stress with other warning signs a therapist can help. Be on the lookout for things that affect your ability to sleep, work, eat, and maintain positive relationships with others, or if your irritability may be inappropriate for or out of proportion to a particular situation.

Chronic irritability causes

Irritability by itself is not a mental health issue. Most people experience occasional irritation, and some people may become more easily frustrated than others. Even if there doesn’t seem to be anything causing the irritability, there is usually a root problem, such as life dissatisfaction or relationship issues. Even drug or alcohol withdrawal can cause irritability.

Irritability is a symptom of many mental health issues, and persistent irritability may be a sign of an underlying medical problem, inadequate coping mechanisms, or careless self-care. Physical conditions like the flu, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome, hyperthyroidism, toothaches, and ear infections are common causes of chronic irritability.

Stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder (during a manic or depressive episode), schizophrenia, and autism are examples of mental health conditions. Most frequently, teenagers and adolescents who are depressed experience irritability as a symptom. In children, oppositional and defiant behavior may be associated with an irritable mood.

Inadequate self-care, including not getting enough sleep, eating poorly, or making time for hobbies and family time can cause problems. Similarly, irritability may manifest in persistent stress or inadequate stress management. Even something like hyperactive attention deficit disorder, which can make routine tasks frustrating, can cause irritability.

Irritability’s impact

Being easily irritated frequently results in a quick temper and can even make people feel overly frustrated with you. A more severe response to external stressors may result from excessive irritability than would typically be the case. Additionally, irritability may be directed at strangers, particularly during periods of stress, anxiety, or depression or when the cause of the emotion is unclear.

Frequent irritability can interfere with friendships and romantic relationships, as well as cause problems at work. Many people may choose to avoid irritable people. The presence of irritable parents may cause children to become fearful, and other family members’ relationships may suffer as a result.

Dealing with ongoing irritability can be very stressful, particularly if it is internalized and not focused on other people.

Conquering irritability

Self-awareness can be a powerful tool in the fight against irritability. After experiencing stress and anxiety for hours or days, some people become irritable. Maintaining emotional awareness, however, can aid in reducing irritability before it escalates or becomes impossible to control your anger.

The frequency of irritability can be decreased by thinking about feelings, talking about them, and taking control of them. It may be helpful to recognize the physical indicators of irritability, such as tense muscles, shallow breathing, and increased perspiration.

It may be helpful to avoid or leave provocative situations when agitated rather than making an effort to react. This could help to avoid sudden outbursts or remarks that you might later regret.

Sometimes the key to overcoming irritability is time. It might be beneficial to move the body, avoid interactions that might aggravate someone else, and try to find something funny to laugh at while trying to control your anger. According to studies, laughing is a generally efficient way to ease tension and stress.

Anger held inside can wear a person down and cause emotional distress. If you have trouble controlling your anger, a sympathetic counselor can assist you in addressing its causes and considering new coping mechanisms. These suggestions, which focus on factors within your power, can also assist you in controlling your anger.

Prioritize your physical well-being to control your anger

Kids can become irritable when they are hungry, tired, or have been seated still for an extended period. Even though we may be better at hiding this kind of agitation as adults, we are still affected by physical discomfort. Long periods of fasting, lack of sleep, long periods of sitting in an office or a car, and other factors can all contribute to irritability.

You can reduce angry outbursts by eating a healthy meal every three to four hours during the day, getting eight hours of sleep each night, and not going for more than two days without exercising.

Drugs and alcohol can harm one’s physical health as well as lower tolerance thresholds and the ability to be forgiving of others. Avoiding these can also reduce your irritability and anger. Taking care of your physical health can improve your self-esteem, which will likely cause you to feel more generous toward those around you.

Anger is a secondary response to fear

Because they do not address the underlying cause of the anger itself, conventional anger management techniques may be ineffective. It’s not the main emotion to be angry. Only feelings like fear or hurt precede it (sometimes very, very quickly).

Anger can be an attempt at protection. When we fear we are in danger, it gives us a sense of power. Anger may be triggered to protect us when we are afraid of being harmed, embarrassed, left, inconvenienced, exploited, or fired.

Focus on learning coping mechanisms to counteract this. Controlling the ensuing anger can be made simpler with coping mechanisms. Giving yourself extra time to get to work, for instance, can lessen the fear of being late. The fear of looking foolish can be eased by learning to take yourself less seriously. The fear of losing your current job can be diminished by building your self-confidence and having faith in your ability to find employment elsewhere.

Develop the mindset that you can handle anything life throws at you. Attending individual or group therapy can give you more self-assurance and make you believe you can solve any problems that arise. In the past, you have dealt with a lot of trying circumstances. In the future, you’ll have the same opportunity.

Foster a grateful mindset to control your anger

Fear, which precedes anger as the dominant emotion, and anger are driven by the fear that something might go wrong or spiral out of control. Consider what is going well in your life as a way to combat these emotions.

By being aware of the blessings that come your way every day, you can practice gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal where you can record your daily blessings. Make it a practice to share your joys and unexpected pleasures, no matter how small they may be.

You might notice the following:

• A bill that was marginally less than you anticipated.
• A parking spot that became available as soon as you arrived.
• The breathtaking natural beauty that surrounds you.
• Daytime comforts like a cup of piping hot coffee, a hearty meal, or a good book.
• A favorable comment made by someone.
• A close friend or relative who you are happy to have in your life.

Gratitude exercises alter brain neuropathways. Your brain can be rewired to focus on the positive aspects of your life rather than the negative ones. Practice giving yourself and others compliments. You’ll be able to concentrate on what is right and safe if you do this.

You can learn to control your anger

You might experience a sense of calm and peace after using these three methods to control your anger. Keep in mind to treat yourself nicely. It might take some practice to develop a new response if you have a history of reacting angrily to difficult circumstances. Commit to leading a more tranquil life. Despite everything that is going on around you, you deserve to be peaceful. Contact us and speak to a counselor today to live a more peace-filled life.