Anger Management Activities

"Speak when you are angry - and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret." ~ Dr. Lawrence J. Peter, An educator

Anger is one of the most basic human emotions. Each one of us can get angry irrespective of the age or gender. Anger is considered to be a primal instinct, that has been with us since our evolution. Anger has been linked to self defense in the sense, that when some of our expectations and desires are not fulfilled, we react towards the unfulfilled expectations in the form of anger. To a certain extent, anger is positive as it triggers a man to take action, however, serious issues of anger can be devastating.

Anger is generally expressed in two forms, verbal anger and violent anger. In verbal anger, the person uses threatening words, often using offensive or abusive language, that bitter relationships and ruin lives. The much dangerous part is the violent form of anger, in which the person can be get out of control and cause damage to life and property.

Anger Management for Children
Children easily become angry and show violent behavior by breaking anything they see in their vicinity. Parents often ignore the signs of anger shown by children and this leads to pent up emotions in the hearts and minds of kids. Children are young and they face difficulty in understanding emotions of anger. Even if one of their small demand is not fulfilled, they become angry and behave aggressively. Though it is normal for children to show such behavior, long terms of such behavior leads to development of aggressive behavior in their personality.

• Make the children aware about the breathing patterns when anger takes over them. Teach them breathing exercises to better their breath control.
• Teach them the physical symptoms of anger like red face, tightening of the body muscles, etc.
• Children must be made aware to sit and relax in case anger occupies their mind.
• Forward and backward counts like 9,8,7....or 0,1,2... must be taught to them.
• If the child feels pressure due to school work, help him instead of pressurizing him more to complete the work.
• Reward the child for the good works and good behavior.
• Don't accuse or blame the child if he commits a mistake. Teach him to learn from mistakes.
• Play sports and games with the children when they are angry.
• Constructive hobbies for elementary students can include activities, like drawing, painting, sports and games organized at the school level.

Tips for Students and Adults
Increasing cases of violence and unrest in the youth, is a matter of growing concern. Anger management for adults, must comprise activities that can help them understand the consequences of anger leading to violence. Some activities for high school students, that must be made a part of their educational curriculum can be Yoga and breathing exercises, sports and games, creative writing assignments, seminars on anger management and cultural activities. The link between anger and violence must be carefully explained to the students. For middle school students, it can be done through counseling sessions and personality improvement programs, wherein, the child must be taught basics of dealing with anger. For children in groups, tolerance and team spirit can be developed by including group based tasks and goals. Working collectively fosters virtue of cooperation and understanding among kids. The important qualities of patience and teamwork are also learned when tasks are performed in groups.

With the love and support of parents and teachers, youth can be taught the effective art of anger management.