Best 5 Anger Management Strategies for college students

Despite being adults, college students are somewhat inexperienced and ill-equipped at dealing with frustrations. As a result, we can find ourselves dealing with our annoyances in inappropriate ways. When we’re angry, we can feel furious rage and often can’t think of anything else. This anger leads us to act irrationally and do things we usually wouldn’t do, like shouting, screaming, hurting ourselves, or lashing out. Anger management activities for high school students aren’t always appropriate as we go into young adulthood. Obviously, though, it’s essential to deal with this stress and release the anger adequately. Teaching about anger is something that isn’t done enough, so that’s where this article comes in. There are many techniques for stopping being angry when you’re at university or college. Let’s take a look at the best 5 ways to calm yourself and deal with anger appropriately.

1. Try to work out why you’re angry

Sometimes the reason behind anger is apparent; we might have lost a key, broken a favorite piece of jewelry, or got a poor grade in an exam. Other times, we might not know why we feel angry. But the key in getting out of the anger and dealing with it is to find out what is making us angry. Sometimes, even just the process of working out why we’re angry can be enough to dispel the anger as we realize it’s not so important.

Therefore, there is so much pressure on students with exams, grades, and essay writing at college and university. If some of these things pressure you and make you angry, then dealing with the root cause can help the anger disappear. An online help from places like Writix can alleviate stress and, therefore, the anger you’re feeling as a result.

2. Think about the consequences of your anger

Anger manifests itself in many ways. When we’re angry, we’re often destructive rather than constructive. If our offense has a root cause in our studies and workload, then being angry and letting our anger escalate will undoubtedly not be purposeful. The time we’re spending being angry could be better spent on getting down to studying, for instance.

Using “if, then” statements, when we’re angry, allows us to think about the results of our anger. These statements also help us to make better choices. This might also help you consider what purpose your angry feelings have. Are you actually achieving anything to make the situation better by feeling angry? Probably not. That said, anger is a valid emotion. Acknowledge you feel it, validate it, and then do something about it.

An example of an “if-then” statement would be if I tear up this essay paper out of anger, then I’ll have nothing to revise from. Another might be if I punch the wall out of frustration, then I’ll have a repair bill to pay.

3. Try counting

It’s not a case of how to stop being angry, more of how to recognize anger and deal with it appropriately. It’s often said that counting to ten gives you the time to think and allows blind rage to soften and calm down. You could also try counting down from ten to zero. This is great for anger management, and it forces you to focus on something else for ten seconds, and sometimes that’s all you need to rationalize what’s happening. When you’re feeling angry, ten seconds seems like an awfully long time. The hardest part of this strategy is actually remembering to do it when the rage hits.

4. Concentrate on your breath

In a similar way to counting to ten, concentrating on your breath is a great way to take the focus off your anger. It’s also been scientifically proven that breathing in a specific way can calm you down. Breathe deeply and slowly in big belly breaths with inhalations through the nose and exhalations through the mouth. When you breathe in deeply, your belly should expand. This motion allows you to take in oxygen and fill up every space in your lungs. Shallow breathing increases anxiety and panic. It’s amazing how taking control of your breath forces you to slow down and reprogram your brain.

5. Go for a walk or remove yourself from the situation

Whenever you feel angry, whether rationally or irrationally, going out for a walk can really help, it’s not just about the change in environment. Still, it’s also about how exercise makes you feel. Getting your blood pumping with an increased heart rate is really good for both your physical and mental health. Most people feel much better mentally after doing exercise. If you’re a runner, even better! When you’re out of breath and tired from running, your brain has very little capacity to think of anything else, including anger.

If going for a walk isn’t possible, any sort of change in the environment can help calm you; changing the room, looking out of a window, or even putting on a happy song.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to strategies for anger management and dealing with students’ emotions, take a step back. As we’ve seen in this article, it’s important first of all to identify what is making us angry and what the route cause is. When you know why you’re angry, finding ways to deal with it is much simpler. If you’re angry because of workload, for example, having a word with your teachers can help. Hopefully, these five strategies will be effective in helping you deal with anger and your strong emotions. If you’ve tried these techniques and are still experiencing difficulties, it might be time to seek further support through a counselor, administrator at college, or mental health professional.