How to Deal With Anger

Anger is a natural human feeling. Healthy adults will experience a healthy amount of anger over their lifetimes, especially within their closer relationships.

Anger stems from the perception of an injustice practiced against the individual. It happens because the individual felt entitled to some outcome which did not pan out.

Anger is bet to not be contained, but appropriately felt and adequately expressed. Expressing anger in a healthy way actually nurtures intimacy and a healthy relationship.

How to approach it

If anger is a frequent issue, an useful approach is to let go of the sense of entitlement over outcomes and over other people's actions.

When you genuinely let go of any expectation and approach knowing what the outcome will be with unburdened curiosity, you won't get angry. You will accept the outcome as additional information for your future decisions and plans, but it won't elicit a strong anger response.

The key to dealing with anger is relinquishing control, letting go, and welcoming the outcome, whathever it may be.

Practice self-affirmations

• “I am not entitled any specific response from another adult for any of my requests.”
• “I let go of controlling the situation and of expecting something to go my way.”
• “I welcome any outcome as additional information.”
• “I am not entitled to the outcome I desire.”

More resources

• “How to be an Adult” by David Richo.