By putting these easy to follow tips into practice, you should be able to gradually reduce your bouts of anger and become a person who people want to associate with again, rather than someone who blows their top at the slightest provocation and everyone avoids as much as possible.



1. Talk to someone

If you've got a close friend ? maybe a person who has known you for years - or even someone in your family, talk things out with them. How you play this depends on you but often the simple act of talking about your feelings helps diffuse them. Oftentimes it doesn't matter if the person you're talking to says little if anything.

2. Write about it

If talking to someone is too much for you or if your anger fits have got so bad that no-one will talk to you any more, then write it down. Write or type away without editing what you write. Just write constantly for between 5 and 15 minutes. This kind of "brain dump" lets your subconscious out into the open and you may be surprised at some of the things you write. There's no need to show anyone else what you've written so feel free to vent your anger on the paper or keyboard (but don't throw it out of the window!).

3. Get some exercise

Anything from a brisk walk to a workout in the gym. Exercise releases "feel good" substances in our body called endorphins, so chances are that this will help you feel better. If you haven't got a gym membership and the weather doesn't lend itself to going outside, you can improvise a punch bag by using a pillow. Ideally not a feather pillow just in case you break through the casing ? clearing up all those feathers won't help your anger.

4. Learn to breathe

This may sound dumb ? after all, you must be breathing in order to read this ? but most of us don't breathe consciously. Your mother probably told you to take a deep breath to calm down and she was right. Take a long, slow deep breath in. Linger over this and hold your breath for a second or two. Then exhale slowly and completely. Do this five or six times and you'll be amazed at how calm and relaxed you start to feel versus how you were before. Since we all breathe all the time, this is an easy exercise to perform almost anywhere.

5. Take up relaxation

This can take many different forms. Maybe there's a local yoga class you can attend. Or get hold of a relaxation or meditation MP3 file and play this to yourself on a regular basis. Find yourself some space to chill. Whether it's part of your bedroom or a chair in the garden or park, it doesn't matter. Just make it some personal "chill" space. Obviously if this is in a public area, don't freak or get upset if you have to share it with other people occasionally. Set aside a regular time to de-stress and unwind.