Controlling negative emotions is becoming a difficult problem in today’s stressful life. However, don’t be pessimistic, practice some of the anger management techniques and tips below to limit anger outbursts.
Table of Contents
1. What is controlling negative emotions?
Suppressing negative emotions is one way to reduce the impact that anger has on each person. Anger is a normal bodily reaction and emotion, it cannot go away but you can learn to control it better.
Anger can be helpful or hurtful, depending on how you react to it. It is useful when we need to protect or motivate ourselves and harmful when it creates problems in life.
If anger is bottled up inside, it can lead to passive-aggressive behavior such as ”getting back” at people without telling them why or being critical and hostile. Knowing how to overcome negative emotions will help you handle emergencies, solve problems, and hold on to meaningful relationships.
2. How to control negative emotions?
Anger can be expressed in many different levels, from mild irritation to anger. When anger occurs, take the following steps to control negative emotions at the time of the outburst :
- Take deep breaths from your diaphragm.
- Reassure yourself
- Slowly repeat a word or phrase to calm yourself like “relax” or “slowly.” Repeat that statement until the anger subsides.
- Then, express yourself clearly and calmly.
Angry outbursts put stress on the nervous and cardiovascular systems and can make health problems worse. Therefore, besides applying temporary measures, you should also apply long-term ways to control negative emotions , such as:
- Increase physical activity by exercising regularly to both improve your mood and relieve stress and anger.
- Avoid using recreational drugs and drinking too much alcohol because they can reduce your ability to control your emotions.
- Confide in relatives and friends you trust.
- Record angry moments to find the cause and solution.
- Put yourself in someone else’s shoes
- Learn to find humor in situations
- Learn to listen to build trust with people. This trust can help you overcome potential negative emotions.
- Express your feelings calmly and directly without becoming defensive, hostile, or emotional.
If your anger becomes out of control and negatively affects your life and relationships, see a psychologist to find the cause and fix it immediately.
Some medications that may be prescribed to control your anger include antidepressants , some anticonvulsants , and low-dose antipsychotics.
Additionally, your doctor may advise you to avoid alcohol, short-acting benzodiazepines such as Xanax , and stimulants.
3. Meaning of controlling negative emotions
The meaning of controlling negative emotions is to prevent prolonged anxiety, leading to psychological problems such as:
- Depression
- Mood disorders
- Personality disorder
- Stimulant abuse
In addition, it also helps limit the risk of broken relationships and reduce the risk of diseases such as:
- High Blood Pressure
- Heart problems
- Headache
- Skin disorders
- Digestive problems
Controlling negative emotions well also reduces the risk of committing crimes and using violent behavior. If you find it difficult to control your emotions, seek help from doctors and psychologists.