8 Useful Ways To Help You Relieve Stress and Anger

Have you ever said something and regret it immediately?

Sometimes stressful situations bring out the worst in us, and naturally, we need to find an outlet to vent our anger.

Some of us have strategies to let go of the negative feelings and stress, while others keep it in themselves. 

This not only prolonged the stress they are feeling, but it also intensifies the stress and frustrations.

Though easier said (in this case, typed) than done, here are some ways that you can incorporate into your routines to help relieve stress and anger.

Write it out 

Do not underestimate the power of writing your feelings out!

Keeping a journal is one effective way of letting your emotions go. 

No one is there to correct your grammar or laugh at your not-so-perfect vocabulary words. So don’t bother to self-edit the blue or red underlined words.

Just write anything and everything that is on your mind, those million and one unanswerable questions that are eating away in your mind. 

I like to write in my journal whenever I am feeling down or when something good happened during my day. If possible, allow writing to be part of your daily sets of routines. Some experts suggest writing at the same time every day, but if your schedule doesn’t agree with this, write whenever you have the time. The idea is to let it all out of you.

Express your emotions

Alright, maybe writing out your emotions don’t work for you. It’s not the end of the world.

Been there, felt the same, although my perceptions changed over time.

Don’t leave your stress and anger hanging around internally. They are not party friends that are worth keeping.

Find a family member or friend whom you feel comfortable sharing and pour out your frustrations and emotions. 

P.S If you are like me who loves to eat, food has magical potions to relieve that stress and anger too! But don’t stress eat because it’s unhealthy! 

Exercise

My style to relieve stress and anger is to intensify my workout routine.

Get the heart pumped and beating hard.

Exercising relieves stress and anger by taking your mind off the stressors, the sweat boosts levels of serotonin in your brain.

Every one of us has a different style of exercising. Does not matter if you like to run, walk, cycle or you’re a yogi, just get that heartbeat up and sweat the stress and anger away!

Change your mindset

As much as you like to remain in your comfort zone, you might have to give in and accept reality.

We perceive situations differently, and some are perceived as threats to us. Different perceptions come with different sets of emotions and responses.

What if instead of fighting the stress and anger feelings, you view it through a different lens? For example, your spouse might have wanted to help with the kids but instead dozed off on the couch. His boss was giving him a hard time, and the customer he was serving was being too unreasonable. It was simply a bad day for him.

Avoid dwelling on the negative side of the situation for too long, if possible, understand why it happened. Talking it out might just be the thing both of you needed to be understood.

Take deep breaths

In a moment of heat, it can be difficult to remember how to breathe. Without huffing and screams in between.

Before you feel your internal volcano near an explosion, walk away or look away and breathe. Slow, controlled breathing. Those types where you inhale from your belly and exhale out from your mouth.

There are many deep breathing techniques on the Internet, but the one that works best for me when I feel the need to extinguish my rising stress and anger in public is breath focus.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Find a place to sit or lie down (in my case I’ve to sit)

Step 2: Take a normal breath then a deep one. Breathe in slowly through your nose until you feel your chest and lower belly rising. Let your abdomen expand fully before slowly exhaling it all out through your mouth

Step 3: Continue deep breathing but as you breathe, imagine happy thoughts or phrases that help you relax.

I like to imagine myself on the beach and the soft sound of the waves. When your head feels lighter and clearer, it helps you think of ways to solve negative situations that constitute your stress and anger.

Focus on the positive

While it can be easy to let your thoughts run wild and feel the stress and anger levels rising, it will do you no good.

The more you dwell on it, the more negative the thoughts can evolve into. Sometimes it is all in your head and none of the thoughts are true. They are your fear which in turn convert into your stress. And you get frustrated and angry because you feel stuck.

Rather, try to refocus your energy and mind on the positive side of the situation. Think of the events that are happening instead of the ‘what-ifs’. Think about the bad things that could have happened and thankfully they did not. When you feel thankful or appreciative, you will feel less stressed out and angry.

Change your surroundings

If your stress and anger are being triggered by a cluttered home, take a long drive out or go for a long walk. Perhaps even bring your laptop to a quiet café to finish your work until you feel ready to go home.

A change in environment will bring calm to your internal struggles so that you will be more ready to battle through the situation when you return.

Pet an animal

This is one I swear will work wonders.

There are increasing studies to show the impact of how petting an animal can reduce stress and anger in adults and kids. Petting an animal also reduces depression, encourages a healthy lifestyle, and eases loneliness.

I feel relaxed every time I spend time with my pets. After a bad day, coming home to a wagging tail and a sloppy smile makes all my frustrations go away.

If you do not have a pet, you can try volunteering at an animal shelter. Not only will those animals wash away your stress and anger, but you are also making their day better from being coop up in a cage all day.

Double win!

Final thoughts

Despite countless methods to relieve stress and anger, every one of us accepts these strategies differently. Understanding your needs and triggers will help you figure out your coping strategies better.

Do not let the fear and hearsays get to you. Recognize when you are stress or angry and use the method that works best for you in that situation. 

Work within your means and be flexible. 

However, if all else fails, do seek help from your community.

Seeking help calls for courage and there is nothing to be ashamed of. It feels good to pour out your feelings to a stranger who is under an oath. Remember, the therapist is not there to judge but to help you. Your health is of utmost importance, so treat it with care and love to lead a happier life.