Notice when you start to feel angry. Your body starts to give hints that you are becoming angry before you even realize it. If you recognize your body’s warning signs, you can calm yourself down before you do or say something you regret.
You might feel yourself breathing faster than usual, or maybe your face is red and feels hot. Your hands might be clenched in fists, or you mind find that you are tensing up your jaw.
Try to name the feeling you are experiencing and attribute it to something that happened as well. For example, you can try saying to yourself, “Ok, I’m mad because I didn’t get what I wanted from that teacher. This is an uncomfortable feeling, but it will pass, then I can say something or ask her about it.”
Take deep breaths and think about something else. As you feel your body warning you that you are becoming angry, try to calm yourself down right away. The more your body becomes agitated, the more difficult it will be to calm down.
Breathe in through your nose as deeply as you can as you count to five. Then, breathe out through your mouth as you count down from five. Repeat this a couple of times
Try using visualization to calm down. Using visualization can help you to gain insight about yourself and it may help you to calm down as well. You can use a guided visualization CD or do a simple guided visualization on your own. The next time you are feeling angry, try sitting in a quiet, comfortable place and closing your eyes.
You can also play some relaxing music to help you stay focused.
Keep your eyes closed and then begin to visualize a serene place, such as a quiet lake in a forest, a sandy beach, or a mountaintop. Focus on the sights, sounds, smells, and feeling of this place.
Continue doing this for around 10 to 15 minutes.