Everyone experiences anger at some point in their lives. Whether it’s a disagreement with a close friend, missing out on a promotion, or dealing with frustrating traffic, anger is a common emotion. While it’s normal to feel upset occasionally, it’s crucial to find a balance between experiencing anger and letting it control you.

Unfortunately, unchecked anger can have severe consequences. For instance, road rage incidents have been on the rise, with related fatalities doubling between 2021 and 2022. Anger can also strain relationships, particularly with family and intimate partners.

Anger triggers the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, leading to physical changes such as:

Increased heart rate
Higher blood pressure
Elevated adrenaline levels

These physiological responses can make anger harder to manage, especially if you also struggle with anxiety or depression. According to Dr. Emily Johnson, a licensed clinical psychologist and director at Serenity Counseling Center, changes in the political and social climate, economic stress, and reduced social interactions have all contributed to increased anger episodes.

While anger can motivate positive action, such as addressing social injustices, it becomes problematic when it disrupts your relationships and daily functioning. Overcoming anger or a bad mood requires commitment and practice.

“You can take control of your emotions. It just takes practice,” says Dr. Sarah Lee, a psychotherapist and founder of Harmony Therapy, a practice dedicated to helping individuals and families.

Here are 10 effective strategies to manage anger and improve your mood:

Acknowledge Your Feelings: Recognize and name your emotions. Saying “I’m in a bad mood” or “I’m angry” can help you process your feelings.
Reflect on the Cause: Step back and ask yourself why you’re feeling this way.
Assume Positive Intent: Try to see the situation from a different perspective.
Exercise and Smile: Physical activity and smiling can help improve your mood.
Eat Well: Proper nutrition can impact your emotional well-being.
Practice Mindfulness: Techniques like meditation can help you stay grounded.
Use Visual Reminders: Keep positive quotes or images around to lift your spirits.
Call a Friend: Talking to someone you trust can provide support.
Let It Go Symbolically: Find a symbolic way to release your anger, like writing it down and tearing up the paper.
Seek Professional Help: If needed, don’t hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional.

1. Acknowledge Your Feelings

Ignoring a bad mood or difficult emotions isn’t healthy in the long run. “Suppressing feelings is challenging and often ineffective,” says Dr. Amanda Smith, a licensed clinical social worker and chief of clinical services at The Haven, a treatment center in New York City and Washington, D.C. Failing to process and acknowledge your emotions can lead to:

Harmful Habits: Some people turn to substances like drugs or alcohol to numb their pain.
Loneliness: Avoiding negative feelings can create an emotional barrier, preventing genuine connections with others and leading to isolation.
Physical Pain: Emotional stress can manifest physically, causing headaches, digestive issues, and other health problems.

Instead of burying your emotions, recognize what you’re feeling. Reflect on your physical sensations, such as a knotted stomach, a racing heart, or feeling warm and sweaty. Acknowledging your feelings can help them pass more quickly, advises Dr. Sophie Martin, a psychologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

2. Step Back and Ask, “Why?”

Bad moods and anger don’t come out of nowhere. Think about why you feel the way you do. Are you tired, hungry, or overwhelmed with life responsibilities?

Stepping back to ask yourself why you’re angry or in a bad mood can help you pinpoint what changes might need to be made in your life so you don’t repeat the same scenarios over and over.

“Emotions can give us important information, and we don’t want to ignore them or push them away,” says Dr. Martin.

If you find yourself feeling anger regularly, take a deeper look to track a few trends about your anger. When you feel calmer, write down or talk to someone you trust about:

How often you feel angry
How long it lasts
What causes your anger

This can be the first step to breaking the anger pattern. Sometimes, talking with a trusted friend can be enough to work through the anger pattern. Other times, you may need to seek help from a mental health professional.

3. Practice Assuming Positive Intent

“Positive intent is a belief that individuals typically act with good intentions. It’s a shift in our mindset that allows us to give others the benefit of the doubt,” says Dr. Johnson.

In turn, it may reduce your natural angry reaction to assume the worst of others. You may recall a time when you said or did something that made someone angry even if that wasn’t your intention. Assuming positive intent when appropriate can help interrupt the fight or flight response in negative or upsetting situations, Dr. Johnson says.

This is something you’ll have to actively commit to. To remind yourself of that commitment, you can write it down on a sticky note to attach to your desk, write it on your mirror with an erasable marker, or save a phrase like “positive intent” as your phone background.

4. Exercise and Smile

Something that gets your blood pumping more quickly can give you a physical outlet to express your emotions. Exercise also helps to release “happy” chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin – all of which help to reduce stress.

Even a short burst of intense exercise, such as a few minutes of push-ups or jumping jacks, can be enough to put your mind and body in a more positive place, Dr. Martin says.

Smiling, like exercise, also triggers endorphins, or “happy” chemicals in your brain and can make you feel happier.

“It may seem fake or forced, but your brain doesn’t know any different,” says Dr. Lee.

5. Eat

Sometimes, your bad mood or anger may have a physical cause. Maybe you’re tired, or maybe you’re “hangry” (a combination of hungry and angry).

If you haven’t eaten recently, grab a healthy snack. In fact, certain foods and drinks can improve mental health.

6. Practice Mindfulness

You’ve likely seen countless examples of how mindfulness practices, such as meditation and yoga, can improve your life. Devotees seem to effortlessly achieve a calmer state of mind. Practicing meditation, self-reflection, or yoga can help you let your emotions be rather than fueling them further, Dr. Martin says. However, it takes practice to achieve this.

If you’re new to mindfulness, start with a simple goal, such as sitting quietly for five minutes after you wake up to set an intention for the day.

“I will remain calm if someone cuts me off on the street” or “I will give my coworkers the benefit of the doubt in tough situations” are examples of emotion-diffusing intentions that you can set. Aim to practice this regularly, and it’ll become a habit.

7. Use Visual Reminders

Dr. Lee recommends writing down positive statements and placing them where you’ll see them often. This can help reinforce a positive mindset and remind you to stay calm and collected.

By understanding and managing your anger, you can improve your emotional balance and overall well-being. Remember, it’s a journey that requires patience and practice.

Understanding and Managing Anger: A Guide to Emotional Balance