How To Deal with a Short Temper

Do you get irritated if people refuse to cooperate, or perhaps they cut you off in traffic? Anger is a common emotion and is sometimes healthy as it releases bottled-up stress. However, uncontrolled anger leads to loss of relationships and health.

A short temper is a habit that should be controlled by understanding it, sensing it coming, and applying best practices to redirect it into better outcomes. Want to learn how to deal with a short temper? Read on to find out more.   

Anger brings both physical and emotional changes in people. Some of the symptoms to look for are as follows:

• Physical/external symptoms – yelling, shortness of breath, palpitation, blurred vision, and increased blood pressure.

• Emotional/internal symptoms – irritability, oversensitivity, embarrassment, regret, and feeling out of control. 

• Often, crying is a byproduct of anger or frustration, which is associated with sadness. But this could also indicate signs of anxiety or depression which again emerges from anger. 

Thus, you need to analyze the situations and people that cause you to react negatively. Once you understand the root cause of your anger, you can easily avoid encountering such situations. If you get into an altercation, you would know a way to get out of uncomfortable situations without hurting people and yourself. 

Instead of eliminating temper tantrums, focus on redirecting your chaotic energy into a meaningful outburst that leads to healthier lives and relationships.

1. Think before speaking

Often, we regret words spoken in anger because we can never heal the person whom we hurt despite our best behavior later. Thus, take a minute or so to compose your thoughts before venting out. Further, allow the other person to speak their mind as well.  

2. Take a break

If your temper slowly rises, it gives you time to leave the situation. You can deeply breathe and slowly count to 10. Usually, this method helps people to calm down and prevents them from reacting irrationally. Thus, you can resolve problems instead of choosing to quarrel. 

3. Don’t carry a temper

Often people continue to remain angry long after the situation has passed. Feeling frustrated over unchangeable events will make your life harder both professionally and personally. For the anger to subside, avoid thinking about old arguments and instead focus on maintaining a calmer and happier mind.

4. Once calm, express your worries

A calmer mind allows you to think clearly. Hence, assertively express your disappointments but not aggressively. Without hurting people’s sentiments, clearly express your thoughts in a calm tone. 

5. Maintain a journal

When you keep a record of your mood swings over a period of 2 weeks, you can easily tame your temper tantrums. Analyze the days when you have lashed out and days when you have handled a situation calmly. 

In the journal make a note of events or people that triggered your temper, how you reacted and how people responded. By analyzing the incidents, you can formulate a method to keep yourself calm in stressful times.

6. Exercise

Exercise helps to reduce the stress that causes anger. Go for a brisk walk the moment you begin to feel angry. Daily invest your time into physical activities that you enjoy like gardening, gymnasium, dancing, etc. It will keep your physical health in top shape and your mind happier.

7. Walk, walk, walk

Walking is a great exercise to relieve stress that causes anger. As you walk, endorphins (happy hormones) are released in your body, which leads to a calmer mind. And, when you are in a relaxed state you can think clearly about the event that caused you an uproar and gain a grip on it. When you are ready to handle the disturbing situation, offer your perspective.

8. Laugh to release tension

Laughter is the best medicine whether it’s sadness or anger. Use humor to face events that cause you anger. Avoid unrealistic expectations from people and situations, and avoid sarcasm if you want to maintain relationships long after the anger has subsided. 

9. Practice relaxation techniques

Techniques like deep breathing, listening to music, writing in a journal, or yoga poses encourages relaxation and instantly calm your mind.   

10. Change your mindset

Although people can mess with your mind with negative conversations, you need to put yourself in their shoes to analyze the situation. Pessimistic thoughts quickly make the situation look worse than it already is. Thus, you need to analyze your personality if you’re a realist, pessimist, or optimist.     

Conclusion

Anger is a tough emotion to manage. With these tips, you can learn methods on how to control it and react more healthily. Don’t allow your temper to get hold of you and prevent you from living a calmer and happier life. Simply, practice these tactics to discover a happier you!

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