Controlling Anger in the Workplace

The response from last week’s anger management piece was so positive, I thought we would provide even more resources for you on this valuable topic.  My hope here is for you to control your anger when it arises and avoid wanting a “Do Over”, which is never fun for anyone!

Below you'll find a series of questions to help you determine the right action, foresee how your anger could affect yourself and others, and find possible alternative paths to control your anger. 

8 questions to manage your anger in the workplace

Consider the topic of your anger and ask yourself the following questions before you react in a negative and regretful way at the office or in your personal life.  

Now you have asked yourself these helpful questions, you must not become paralyzed or ineffective. Instead, you must engage in effective behavior and action.  The best way to do this is to be prepared. You should already have a plan in place with proven tactics to control your anger.

Building a de-escalation method for your anger

What can I do to find and ground myself for the best-measured response for my anger? This next step is different for each of us. What might be the suitable de-escalation method for you?

As you work to identify this next step on your own, reference the JRCI Anger Management Top 10 as a resource. This worksheet may be valuable for your subsequent interaction with Anger when its ugly presence rears.

I have learned that when we keep Anger all wadded up inside, other bad things happen to our health. We talk a lot about emptying the Emotional Backpack regularly here at JRCI, this must happen with intention daily.

Practicing this simple act of emptying this cluttered emotional pack on your back🎒, hanging it on the trouble tree🌳outside your home , and retrieving it on your way out the door🏡, has value.  

Not taking this nonsense into your home and negatively affecting others is critical to positive relationships.

 The value is for you, those you serve, those you care about, and those who care about you.

There are considerable health consequences associated with Anger. Humans can suffer depression, lack of sleep, headaches, anxiety, elevated blood pressure, or even heart attack. We all agree none of this sounds appealing. Yet, many of us have to create a predictable system to de-escalate our anger. Many of us do not have an anger management strategy or proven tactics that uniquely work for us individually. We simply do what we do and react how we choose, requiring others to deal with it. This is not a good strategy for success, we all agree.

I am not talking about avoiding Anger, which is another discussion with its challenges; I am talking about healthily handling Anger. To get angry is to be human, and to control Anger appropriately is one degree!