Managing Anger Covid--19

1. Monitor your anger

Monitor your anger – keep a log of your anger and start to notice patterns. You can do this on a thermometer scale to rate your intensity of anger a few times a day:

Suggested Resources

• Combat Stress - Anger Diary

 

Once you see patterns to your anger, you can look at what to target –

• Is it the same situations coming up?
• Do you notice any changes in how your body feels? E.g. increased heart rate, changes in breathing or getting hot
• Do you find it hard to calm your body down?
• Do you have unhelpful thoughts that make you feel angry?
• Do you find you just ‘explode’ and become aggressive?
• Have you noticed any changes to your sleep pattern or quality?
• Have you been drinking more alcohol or smoking more?
• Have your wife/partner or children noticed any of these things?

 

 

2. Practice daily relaxation to calm the 'fight / flight' system:

Relaxation

Practicing daily relaxation can help calm the body down. Here is one example exercise to try, but you can easily access lots of different exercises online that best suit you

Suggested Resources

• YouTube - Relax and Breathe: Do nothing for 10 minutes

 

3. Use some ‘In the heat of the moment’ strategies to calm your body:

• Focus on slowing down and taking back control of your breathing
• Distraction - Count backwards from 100 in 7s (100, 93, 86 etc.)
• Focus on relaxing your jaw and your shoulders
• Wear a calming smell e.g. lavender, lemon, partner’s perfume/aftershave on your collar and take a deep inhale
• Change of environment, for example, stepping outside for a few moments, using cold water or ice on your face for a few seconds, going for a brief walk if you are able.

 

This table contains sensory techniques to help you with feelings of anger. Try these within your capabilities. When introducing these strategies – be mindful to not try too many at once. We suggest you try some and make note of which were helpful before moving on to the next.

 

Sensory Techniques

Strategy	Sense	Works By
Moving the body	Vestibular, Proprioception	Star jumps, rocking, bouncing a ball, yoga stimulate these senses to provide a calming sensation on the body.
Push / Pull exercises. Carry or sit with a heavy weight.	Proprioception	Large arm movements, painting a wall, pushing or pulling against furniture or using a theraband gives the proprioceptive input to help calm the body. You could also try having a weight in your lap, carrying books or a bucket of water or have a weighted cushion or bag of rice.
Muscle tension and relaxing	Touch, Proprioception	Squeeze and release a stress ball. Breathe in deeply and slowly while tensing your muscles – then exhale slowly while releasing tension.
Use cold water	Touch/temperature	Splash cold water on your face to reverse the hot, flushed feeling experienced when angry.
Visualise or look at cool/calm pictures	Visual	Counteracts feelings of heat.

 

SENSORY SNACKS 

It is also important you maintain a good physical health routine to help with low mood. For further information please access our additional resources below.

Suggested Resources

• Sensory Snacks - May 2020

 

 

 

4. Choosing ways to respond

Aggression is just one way you can respond to anger, and it is often not a very helpful response. It can cause long-term consequences for yourself, your family and friends and put yourself and others in danger.

Once you are feeling a little calmer by practicing the above techniques, you can start to choose other ways of responding to your anger.

 

 

5. Stay focused

Focus on maintaining good physical health to keep your body in a state of balance – eat well, sleep well and exercise. Limit or abstain from alcohol and drugs, and cutting back on smoking can help.