Taming Your Temper During A Pandemic

Being irritated with your partner’s annoying behaviour, feeling frustrated with kids or getting stressed with work are all common and may lead to minor bursts of anger. However in 2020, these minor irritants are somehow enhanced as we are stuck at home with a sea of emotions, we can’t comprehend. From being annoyed with stringent rules to being furious at people who don’t comply with the lockdown regulations – anger is everywhere. The added fear and anxiety only makes it worse. So if you think you’re losing control over your temper lately, don’t worry! You’re not alone.

Let’s take a deeper look into what’s causing us to lose our cool, and how we can tame the temper we feel.

Core Cause Of Lockdown Fury

Experts suggest that the cause of the anger and frustration we’ve been feeling lately could be due to the sense of loss. Loss of daily routine, loss of contact with friends and family, loss of control over future plans, and mainly, the loss of freedom could be contributing factors to the increased rage .

With the imposed lockdown restrictions, we’ve also lost most of our normal ways of venting frustration – meeting up with friends and talking our hearts out, hitting the gym or going out for a drink. So, here are some easy and effective ways of managing your anger while being cooped up at home.

Managing Anger In Lockdown

Understand Internal/Personal Triggers: If you notice closely, you’ll discover your new anger triggers. Perhaps some habits of people around you that may make you feel uncomfortable. Or maybe specific news stories that trigger your anger. Notice what’s causing you discomfort and contributing to your increased rage. Once you’ve established the reasons, try to avoid them as much as possible .

Try Not To Get Worked Up Over External Triggers: Remember, not everything is in your control. You cannot control what comes on the news or how the people around you behave. Angry responses at such times will hurt you and you alone. So keep reminding yourself that you are not responsible for setting everything right and that everything is not in your control .

Take A Timeout: Give yourself short breaks when you think things are getting stressful. A few moments of quiet time, deep breathing, or listening to some soothing music might help you deal with things better. Taking such short breaks will give you time to calm yourself down and may help you respond to a situation in a rational manner .

Identify Possible Solutions: Instead of putting your mind on what made you mad, work on how you can resolve things. If the news is spiking your rage, turn off the TV. If your kids won’t listen to you, leave them be for some time and give yourself a break. Remind yourself that anger won’t fix anything. In fact, it might even make things worse .

Use Light Humor To Release Tension: Laughing and lightening up can help you release tension. Use light humor to lighten the mood and distract your mind from upbuilding rage. But try and avoid sarcasm as it can hurt feelings and make things worse .

Relax: Trying to relax while being cooped up like this can be tough. But think about things or minor changes that may help you feel calmer. For example, dimming the lights, adjusting the room’s temperature, or maybe putting on some soft music. You can even try meditation and some breathing exercises to help you control your temper .

Consider Professional Help: If you think your anger is out of control, that it causes you to do things you’d later regret and hurt those around you – seek help. Your emotional wellbeing and that of people around you is important. Therefore, instead of struggling with managing your anger, seek professional help if possible .

Develop Patience: Being patient while dealing with irritants may be the best way of managing your anger. However, it may be the last thing on your mind when you are furious. Therefore, you must develop it through time. Practicing patience ensures that your temper is under control when you feel situations and things around are provoking anger in you.

Practice Gratitude: Try and shift your focus from irritants to things that make you happy, things that you appreciate and are grateful for.