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1. Awareness and acknowledgement
You probably already know that when a person has an addiction or behavioral problem, getting them to acknowledge the problem can be challenging.
Awareness is the foundation of self-empowerment. If a person wants to tame the beast, he must acknowledge that his anger management is something that needs to be addressed.
Recently, I was talking to Chef Tim, a good friend of mine, and he reminded me of a catchy phrase from G.I. Joe:
“Knowing is half the battle.”
So, if you are reading this article in order to deal with your own anger issues then kudos to you. You’re half way there.
On the other hand, perhaps you are reading this article with the intention of helping someone else- someone who isn’t aware that his anger needs to be tamed. If so, then it’s a good idea to send him a copy of Blind Spots, an article about developing self-awareness, Emotions and Your Health: Anger or both.
So, what are some telltale signs of an anger problem?
According to a study published by Kassinove, R. Chip Tafrate, PhD, and L. Dundin in the Journal of Clinical Psychology (Vol. 58, No. 12), individuals with high trait anger tend to report more physical aggression, negative verbal responses, drug use, and negative consequences of their anger. They have anger reactions that are more intense, enduring, and occur more frequently.
If you’ve noticed any of these indications then it’s time to…
2.Track It
One of the most effective methods of tracking anger (or any other emotion) is to keep a journal. Get a copy of my book called My Success Journal: For Young People or a small notebook to keep with you and follow these steps.
1. At the start of the day draw a line down the middle of the page.2. Using a scale of 0 to 100, every so often during the day note the time and level of your anger on the left hand side of the page.3. On the right side write down what is happening.4. It is important to record any peak periods of anger. Colorado State University psychologist, Jerry Deffenbacher, says that in his experience most people find anger a problem when it exceeds 40.
With an anger journal, it will be easier to…
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