Yes, we all know that feeling when anger starts to brew inside us. As humans we all experience it. But what we know is that in expressing anger, we don’t always know how to do it right or in healthy ways all the time. Our resident counselor Kinsey has been exploring the topic of anger with guests at the Micah Center in her group “All the Rage.”
Workshop topics have included: What is anger, cycle of anger, identifying triggers, managing anger/developing coping skills, when is anger good/helpful vs. negative, and moving on after anger (conflict resolution, expressing empathy, and forgiveness.)
By taking part in the workshops, guests have been able to:
- Gain better understanding of anger as an emotion.
- Identify personal triggers that cause anger.
- Understand how our negative thoughts lead to physical, emotional, and behavioral responses.
- Identify and develop coping skills to manage angry feelings.
For all of us, there are challenges. In “All the Rage,” Kinsey recognizes some key challenges to overcome:
- Identifying when negative thoughts kick in as this is a great time to reframe thoughts/perspectives so anger does not escalate.
- Identifying healthy coping skills that they can use in a variety of settings (at work, at shelter, at home) and putting these coping skills into use when you become angry!
Kinsey shared some resources she’s using in the group that can be helpful to all of us dealing with the daily issues that can cause anger to surface.
- The Thought Record Sheet, download here.
- The Cycle of Anger, download here.
