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Introduction
All of us gets angry. That’s how our emotions work. We get angry, sad, happy, scared, surprised, and all of the above. That’s what makes us human.
Stop and think for a moment. Imagine if you were a being with no emotions? Imagine if that dog, or cat of yours had no emotions? Don’t you think that it would be significantly different than it would be with emotions? Of course it would!
In essence, you would be a living, walking zombie. You wouldn’t be afraid of anything, sure; but you wouldn’t be mad, happy, or sad about anything. You would just be you. No reaction. No emotion. What kind of life is that?
Now, chances are, it’s probably not bad. But, even if it is, this quick guide will show you how to calm down even if you’re furious. I can tell from firsthand experience (obviously) that calming down can be one of the easiest and hardest things that you’ll do today. It’s simple, but not easy.
My Evidence-Backed Procedure
If you want to end whatever anger is boiling inside of you right now, ASAP, I suggest this evidence-backed step-by-step procedure. After, I’ll list a personal procedure that I use to calm down quickly, reasonably, and without doing too much.
- Start with Deep Breathing: Take a moment to focus solely on your breathing. Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your lungs to fill completely, then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this several times. Deep breathing helps to reduce immediate symptoms of anger by increasing oxygen to your brain and promoting a state of calmness (Cleveland Clinic Health).
- Engage in Mindful Walking: If possible, take a walk outside. Choose a natural setting if you can, but any change of scenery can help. Pay attention to each step, the movement of your body, and the environment around you. This action can help distract your mind from anger-inducing thoughts and provide a new perspective (MindBodyGreen).
- Use Box Breathing Techniques: Once you’re feeling a bit more detached from the initial anger, try box breathing: inhale for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold again for four. This technique is excellent for refocusing your mind and further reducing stress (MindBodyGreen).
- Acknowledge Your Feelings: Finally, recognize that it’s okay to feel angry. Identifying and acknowledging your feelings can be a powerful step towards processing them. Remind yourself that it’s normal to experience a range of emotions, but you have the power to control how you respond to them (Cleveland Clinic Health).
General Tips
- Spend Time in Nature: Go outside, immerse yourself in the natural world, and let the environment help shift your perspective. Even a short time in a park or garden can be soothing (MindBodyGreen).
- Take a Walk: Engaging in mindful walking can significantly reduce stress levels and enhance your quality of life (MindBodyGreen).
- Engage Your Senses: Look for specific colors around you or think of objects that start with different letters of the alphabet to distract and calm your mind (MindBodyGreen).
- Count Backward by Sevens: This mental exercise helps engage your rational brain, diverting attention away from emotional turmoil and towards logical thinking (MindBodyGreen).
- Try Box Breathing: This technique involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding your breath, all to the count of four, which can be a quick way to bring about calmness (MindBodyGreen).
- Shower with Cold or Hot Water: Depending on your preference, a change in temperature can help by engaging the body and moving your focus away from stressful thoughts (MindBodyGreen).
- Get Creative: Drawing or indulging in any artistic activity can help regulate your nervous system and shift your focus from stress (MindBodyGreen).
General Tips (cont.)
- Practice Deep Breathing: Deep, slow breaths can help reduce immediate symptoms of stress by increasing oxygen intake and focusing your mind away from stressors (Cleveland Clinic Health).
- Listen to Calming Music: Your favorite music or calming tunes like classical music can lower anxiety and physiological stress markers (Cleveland Clinic Health).
- Talk to a Friend: Sharing your feelings with someone you trust can provide relief and possibly offer new perspectives on what’s troubling you (Cleveland Clinic Health).
- Exercise: Physical activity releases endorphins, chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers and mood elevators (Cleveland Clinic Health).
- Use Calming Scents: Aromas like lavender or other personal favorites can evoke memories of happy times, helping to ease your mind (Cleveland Clinic Health).
- Acknowledge Your Feelings: Simply admitting that you’re nervous or upset can help you begin to deal with those emotions constructively (Cleveland Clinic Health).
My Personal Procedure
What you’re about to read is the procedure I always use to calm myself down, no matter how angry or furious I am. It works. However, earlier I mentioned that there would be a difficult part in this process. And that part is getting your mind off that anger factor. That’s the hard part. When you’re angry, and are in a bad mood, it isn’t that easy to get your mind off said thing.
But hey! We’re here together. Let’s get it.
- Shut off all noise.
- Find a quiet space and just breath. This is the hardest part in this process. It’s getting your mind off of what’s getting you angry. So, to do this, you need to stop thinking. Yeah, you heard that right. To start, find a quiet and comfortable space to sit down. From there, close your eyes and start taking big deep breaths. 1, 2, then 3. Slowly. Avoid drifting off and be laser-focused on the main objective: getting your mind off what’s making you angry and calming it down.
- Watch something that makes you laugh. I can’t tell you why, because I’m no psychologist; but what I can tell you is that if you watch something of humor, something that makes you laugh – the brain enters a happy, joyful state. All of a sudden, it’s starts drifting away from the anger and actually becomes happy. Crazy right? Well, guess what? It works. My personal favorite suggestion is to find a video, topic, or person that makes you laugh and just watch a short video of theirs. Watch for as long as you need to, until your mind is completely sane and satisfied.
- Go for a walk/read a book. You can conduct all the research you want. The results are that doing either (or both for even better results) will calm your mind down, release endorphins, and destress your brain from whatever it’s been through. Try it.
Personal Tip
If you’re looking for an immediate calm-down, try the “5-4-3-2-1” grounding technique. Here’s how it works:
- Identify 5 things you can see around you. It could be anything in your surroundings.
- Acknowledge 4 things you can touch. Feel the texture of these items; it could be the fabric of your clothes or the surface of a desk.
- Recognize 3 things you can hear. Pay attention to sounds that you normally overlook, like the hum of a refrigerator or birds chirping outside.
- Notice 2 things you can smell. If you can’t immediately smell anything, move to where you can or use your imagination.
- Identify 1 thing you can taste. This could be the aftertaste of a meal or drink, or even the taste of your mouth in general.
This method helps by engaging your senses to bring your mind back to the present, diverting it from distressing thoughts and helping you calm down quickly.
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Conclusion
All of us gets angry. The only difference is that some of us choose to deal with anger ourselves, while some of us decide to let it control and overtake our minds. Mental strength is one of the most important strengths to develop in this era; because, with it, you’ll be able to overcome challenges that you probably never thought you could take head-on, and achieve your wildest dreams. If you’re looking learn how to do exactly that, you can click here.
