Expressing your anger

Some people express their anger by being abusive or violent, or cause harm in other ways.

It’s not okay to express anger in ways that can hurt you or other people or objects.

Managing your anger

If you think you have problems managing your anger, it may help to ask yourself these questions:

• Do you sometimes have trouble controlling your behaviour when you’re angry?
• Have you ever been angry and later regretted what you did?
• Have you ever become violent or abusive when you’ve been angry?
• Has anyone commented to you about your behaviour when you’re angry?

If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you might like to consider talking to someone about how to manage your anger better.

Recognising when you’re angry

If you recognise the physical signs that you’re becoming angry, you may be able to control your actions.

You might notice:

• your muscles feel tight, especially the muscles in your jaw or arms
• you feel increased pressure in your head - like it ‘might explode’
• your face feels flushed
• you have an increased heart rate, heavy breathing and sweating.

Understanding why you’re angry

It’s useful to understand why you get angry.

Some people find it helps to talk to professionals such as doctors or psychologists.

Alternatively, you can call helplines such as Lifeline, Kids Helpline or MensLine.

Read more about MensLine's counselling services.