South Lewis Central School

12 Tips to Get Rid of The Angry Monster

1. Take several deep breaths and count to 10

2. Talk to an adult or friend you trust about the causes of your angry feelings. It is most useful to talk to an adult prior to expressing your anger. This will help you to make sure that you can cool down and talk through the best way to respond. 

3. Use positive self-talk. This means that you tell yourself to "calm down" and "take deep breaths." You might also say encouraging things like "You can get through this" or "No need to get upset, you can handle it."

4. Distract yourself by doing something fun. This works best in situations where you are only a little angry. This strategy does not always work on the Anger Monster if you are very mad. Sometimes being distracted helps you to calm down and think about how to handle a situation, but it may not make the anger go away if you are really mad.

5. WALK AWAY! Sometimes we just have to leave a situation that is upsetting. It will prevent us from acting on our anger and making a poor choice.

6. Write down the problem and think it through. Use the problem solving model from the section on "dealing with feelings" on this website. 

7. CONSEQUENCES, CONSEQUENCES, CONSEQUENCES! When we do not control the Anger Monster we often make decisions that get us into trouble. Before you let the Anger Monster loose... remember that you could get into trouble for making a poor choice.

8. Get your angry energy out!! Do something active to get your feelings out like jumping rope, running, or playing basketball. Getting some exercise helps to relax our muscles, clear our minds, and make better decisions about handling the Anger Monster.

9. Listen to peaceful music. Calm your mind so that you can make a good decision.

10. Squeeze a pillow, stuffed animal, Play-Doh, or clay to get rid of some of that angry energy. It is never okay to hurt yourself or someone else when you are angry, but you can squeeze something that will not break to help you feel better. 

11. DRAW! If you like to draw, use art to express your feelings in a safe way. You might be mad at a friend for calling you names but instead of calling names back out of anger, draw about your feelings. This will help you to cool down and let your feelings out so that you can make a better choice. 

12. Write about your feelings. For people who have a hard time getting that Angry Monster to stay away, it helps to keep a journal about your thoughts and feelings. This will help you to think about how often you get angry, reasons you are likely to get angry, and how you handled that Anger Monster.