Every single person in the world gets upset or worries too much when something bad happens. Anger and anxiety can so easily take over. Calming down becomes difficult, especially when faced with a serious situation.
Being able to quickly calm down is a huge advantage since it can help in countless possible situations. The following strategies might not help you reach a Zen state, but they are effective calming tactics you want to have in your arsenal.
Take A Minute To Breathe
The most effective way to quickly reduce anxiety and anger is to breathe. Normally, in such situations, we take very shallow and quick breaths. This triggers the body’s natural fight-or-flight response. If you do the opposite, the loop is disturbed, and it can help you calm down in many situations.
You can use several breathing techniques. The common one is three-part breathing. You basically take a single, very deep breath. Then, you fully exhale as you focus on the body. After being comfortable with the deep breath, the inhalation and exhalation ratio is changed to 1:2. Exhalation is slowed down, and you make it 2 times as long as the inhalation.
Just make sure to practice the technique since you cannot be successful on the first attempt. Alternatively, look for other breathing techniques to use.
Admit You Are Angry or Anxious
We naturally want to fight negative feelings like anger and anxiousness.
By labeling the feelings, expressing them, and practically acknowledging what we really feel, the body tends to calm itself down. All the anger and the anxiety you feel can decrease.
Challenge What You Think
When you are angry or anxious, irrational thoughts appear. They do not make sense, but you see them as reality since they are the worst possible case scenario you can be in. As this continues, you end up caught in a very damaging cycle based on what-ifs. You will practically sabotage your entire life.
As you experience the thoughts, take a step back and stop. Start asking questions like:
- Are my thoughts rational?
- What is the really bad thing that can happen?
- Is this something I experienced in the past?
- What is the likelihood my thoughts will actually happen?
After you ask the questions, reframe what you think. Try to replace every single what-if with what is actually real. Think about the most possible outcome, not the one your mind creates.
Releasing The Negative
When we keep negative emotional energy inside, bad things happen. They keep escalating and getting worse. Exercising can help you find the anger and anxiety. Running or simply working is enough in most cases. This is because physical activity will release serotonin, which can do wonders in making you feel a lot better and calming you down.
What is important is to avoid all the physical activity that lets you express anger, like screaming or punching walls. That will only make you angrier. It will reinforce the negative emotions you have. Basically, it will feel good to be angry.
