Tips for managing life with anti-stress tactics

Anger is a normal human emotion. But sometimes it can boil over at inopportune or inappropriate moments.

If angry outbursts occur on a regular basis, that may be a sign of an anger-management problem.

Angry outbursts can negatively affect relationships with family, friends, co-workers and even complete strangers. If you find yourself fuming over the smallest thing, it might be a good idea to practice some calming measures to get your anger under control.

Here are some anger-management tips, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic:

    - Take a self-imposed “time out.” Count to 10 before reacting or leaving the situation.

    - Pour your anger into physical activity, such as exercise. For instance, you can go for a walk or a run, swim a few laps, hit the weights or shoot some hoops.

    - Practice deep-breathing exercises, visualize a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming word or phrase to calm and soothe you. Listening to music, painting or writing in a journal can also reduce the anger level.

    - Consider what you’ll say carefully before you speak. You don’t want to end up blurting out something that will haunt you.

    - Work with the person who angered you to identify solutions to the situation.

    - Practice a bit of syntax. Use “I” statements when describing the problem to avoid placing blame.

    - Let bygones be just that. Forgive the person that caused you stress and anger. You can never expect everyone to behave exactly as you’d like.

    - Unleash some humor in a heated moment. Brevity can work wonders in defusing anger. But avoid sarcasm, as it’s nothing more than another form of unhealthy expression.

    - Maintain an anger journal to identify situations that set you off and monitor your reactions.