It's another week, and yes, another prompt. It's really nice and engaging to write on these prompts, week in and out. Again, kudos to the management of this community for consistently putting up this initiative, not just that, but also bringing sound and needful topics to put thoughts into.

So, the prompt reads, "How do you manage your anger?". It's a big one I tell you. While we may not be found talking much about it in our daily physical world of interaction, it remains paramount to all and sundry that wish for a better life - socially, relationally, emotionally and the likes.

In a bid to craft my piece on this, I found something similar with the previous week's prompt. Guess? Okay, it's the word, "manage". I consider these prompts are in a way meant to build one into a better manager in life, be it financially, socially, emotionally and so on.

In my attempt to gather ideas and pen them down into this writeup, my mind jumped to some thoughts - memories you can say. I recalled this lyric from a gospel rapper; Lecrae – I suppose – which stated something in the lines of, "...is like taking anger management class from Bruce Banner…". Now I may need to explain who Bruce Banner is right? Allow me please if need be.

Bruce Banner isn't a real person but you may know him as "hulk" from "The Avengers" yeah, that. He's a character who while young, was experimented upon by his father and seemingly, he got something like a disease from it that turns him into this green monster when he gets angry. So anytime anger issues arise, you don't get Bruce Banner again, but rather "the hulk". For a long time, he continued like that till later on he "developed" the ability to become the hulk without necessarily getting angry. So much for an explanation, right? Sorry if I might have bored you, it was necessary for me so I could drive home my point.

^{Nahh... I'm not Bruce Banner and I'm not angry}

My point! Okay, first of all, anger should be understood as certainly a human emotion. You get happy, so also you get angry. It’s a balance of life. It's not an issue of debate no, but one in which we need to accept and know how to thrive with.

As certain as it is that something triggers your "happy hormones", something also does that to the ones for anger. And I'll like to just flip the reasons for anger gaining from the perspective of happiness - the opposite of what triggers your happiness. With that, it's safe for me to say these are generally some triggers to anger; unfair treatment, disappointment, failure, disregard, feeling unloved, injustice, improper communication and the whole likes of them. Fair enough, but these all shouldn't justify one's wrong reaction(s) to anger. Hence, I highlight some ways to manage anger.

At the instance, I see it best to develop a refrain from talking immediately. An angry person is one with little or no control, and you can be sure that your words will certainly be out of control too. What guilt your heart will bear when you come to later regret your words or even actions. I once came across this therapeutic approach to anger that suggests you count one to ten "Mississippi" before you respond. I assure you, after those "ten Mississippi’s" you shouldn’t find strength enough to produce that intended action.

While you can do the above, it's better suggested that one should as well retract from the environment. This will help any fueling emotions and the will to react to evaporate. Certainly, this seems hard but then, it is extremely useful, because “what you cannot see will be hard to attack it - be it by words or actions.”

Some suggestions demand that you take a walk, listen to music, play some games, draw or paint something - just involve in some extracurricular activity. This is ascertained to help calm the nerves and heated hormones responsible for that erupting anger within.

And here's one good take from me which I hope works for you; sleep it off. And I don't mean this figuratively, no. I mean that in the actual sense. It's a proven strategy that I've seen work. This helps to like reboot you all over so that when you're up, you're eased of the tension that was setting in.

^{Image designed with Canva}

Anger management is a deliberate effort and process, you don't come into it by chance. One has to be intentional to achieve control over their anger. “While it's not possible to stop oneself from getting angry, it's possible to stop oneself from being controlled by it.” The resultant effects of anger are a proof that anger management is paramount to one's wellbeing and relationship.

Thank you for stopping by!