Anger
What is Anger?
A normal human feeling that we all experience from time to time
NAme 1 helpful way of dealing with anger
being aware of what makes us angry
communicating our feelings clearly and openly
taking some time out when things get difficult
learning ways to relax
saying things to ourselves that help us stay calm
trying to solve the problem.
Name a way relaxation can help when you are angry
be less irritable
think better and enjoy improved concentration
feel calmer, happier and more energetic
enjoy more restful sleep
increase our feeling of control
regain control
focus on ourselves
improve body functions, such as decreasing heart rate, blood pressure,
When we think calm thoughts we are more like to stay in ________
Control
Name 1 of 3 different communication styles
Passive
Aggressive
Assertive
When does anger become a problem?
It happens a lot
It happens too strongly
It happens for too long
We harm ourselves, others, or property
It affects our lives
Name 1 Unhelpful way of dealing with Anger
ignoring the things that make us angry
keeping feelings ‘bottled up’
blaming others
taking your anger out on others
thinking negatively
letting the problem continue
becoming violent towards others, yourself or property.
Name a method we used in group to practice relaxing
deep breathing
talking calmly to ourselves
picturing a calm scene
counting to ten
muscle relaxation.
When we think angry thoughts we are more likely to _________
Loose control
What is one of the four thinking errors?
Some of the common thinking errors people make are:
Thinking the worst – expecting the worst to happen in a situation, such as thinking, ‘I’m going to be thrown out of my unit,’ ‘They don’t want me here.’
Taking things too personally – thinking that every negative thing that happens is because of you, such as thinking, ‘It’s my fault that no one wants to watch TV in the living room,‘ ‘It’s because of me that people are unhappy.’
Thinking too negatively – focusing on just the negatives and ignoring the positives of a situation, such as thinking, ‘I just got invited to a party. It’s because they felt sorry for me.’
Jumping to conclusions – making a decision which is based on just some of the facts, such as thinking, ‘They don’t want me here today because yesterday I was late.’
Changes in our bodies (sweaty, tense muscles, pounding heart)
Name different Anger Triggers (3)
Events → something that happens to you (i.e., waiting too long, being teased, making a mistake)
Feelings/Internal conditions → Feeling you may experience (anger, loneliness, sorrow, scared, sadness). Internal conditions (i.e., hunger, illness, pain, tiredness)
Thoughts → Thoughts you have about what has happened (interpretations)
Name a way we can help ourselves to relax
Develop new interests, hobbies and recreational activities.
Do what you enjoy, such as watch a movie or talk with a friend.
Relax regularly in your favourite way.
Work out what worries you and try to find a solution. Get help if you need to.
Get proper rest and nutrition.
Treat yourself to something special every now and then.
Have time-out from difficult situations or people.
Keep a sense of humour.
When can calming strategies be used? (3 different times)
Before going into a situation where we know we might feel angry“Take it easy”, “you can do it”, “It might not be so bad”, “I’ve done it before”, “I can ask for help”
During a situation where we are feeling angry “It’s OK I can handle it”, “ It will be over soon”, “That anger is not gonna get me”, “Not gonna let it take control”
After a situation where we have felt angry. That wasn’t so bad”, “ I hope that doesn’t happen again”, “I got through it”, “It is over and done with”, “I’m gonna use Hakuna Matata”, “I’m going to put that past behind me”.
What is one of the thinking strategies?
Distract yourself – sometimes dwelling on things can make us feel angrier. Thinking of something else can help us to feel better. It can give us a break from negative feelings and we can come back and deal better with the situation some time later. We can distract ourselves by counting to 10, thinking of a relaxing scene or thinking of something that gives us a good feeling.
Look at the funny side of a situation – trying to see the funny side of a situation may help us to feel better. When we have funny thoughts, we can’t feel angry. This helps us to see the situation less seriously.
Praise yourself for positive efforts – even if we are left with negative feelings after the situation, praising ourselves for our effort to stay in control is good. It can help us to cope better next time.
Focus on the task – keep focused on the job, rather than your feelings of anger.
How can you manage anger?
Understanding the situation
Understanding our reactions
Learning and practicing new ways of dealing with feelings of anger
Finding support
Name Anger Styles (3)
displacing/dumping - This person usually hits or yells at others or other objects that did not cause the anger.
Acting out -This person usually hits or yells at others or other objects that caused the anger.
burying/bottling -This person usually hides, denies or ignores their anger
What or how can we use relaxation during a situation. ( 3 ways)
prepare us for a difficult situation
get us through a difficult situation
help us wind down after a difficult situation is over.
How can being assertive help us with our anger
It’s a good way of communicating our thoughts and feelings.
We avoid getting too angry.
It gives us a greater sense of control in our lives.
We can feel better within ourselves.
It can give us more self-confidence.
We are less likely to experience negative consequences.
Name the four steps in problem solving
Find out what the problem is. Be clear about the problem and what is happening in the situation you are faced with.
Think about some of the things you can do to solve the problem. Usually there are many choices you can make.
From all these choices, work out which one is the best. Choose the thing that will help you to get what you want without causing any further problems for you or others.
Try it out and see how it goes. If it works, continue with it. If it does not, then try another way of solving the problem.