4 Ways to Overcome Anger

Yesterday I took some time to sweep up our floors. Having kids and fur babies, the floors can get pretty gross sometimes. The floor is one of those tasks that I absolutely hate, because no matter how many times I sweep and mop, it always gets dirty 2 seconds later. Well, Yesterday was one of those days where I wasn’t in the mood to do the floors, but knew they had to be done. However, I could also feel that I was struggling with my depression and anger.

It was one of those feelings that I could feel the tension in my heart. Where I knew I was going to be struggling with it, but thought I could control it. Have you ever had an experience like that? I’m not too pleased with having to tell you that I failed miserably at controlling my depression and anger. When I mean I failed at controlling it, I really mean it…I failed…miserably.

I started yelling at my kids for all the mess that they make, I started yelling at my husband for giving our 1 year old food that makes a huge mess RIGHT after I finished cleaning the floor. I told my 9 year old that if she didn’t sweep up the cat litter, that the cat kicks out of the litter box, then we could give her cat away to someone who is going to take care of him.

I was mean and nasty.

This is something that I have struggled with for as long as I can remember, and learning to control it is something that the Lord is working with me on daily. Obviously I am no expert, because I’m constantly failing. However, I praised the Lord for His continue mercies, and grace! He still loves me, and works with me, even though I fail Him every day.

Throughout my time of learning to control my anger, I have found these 4 simple things I can do to help calm myself down. All these fool proof, meaning, if you do these can I guarantee you will be able to stop your anger right in its tracks? Not at all. Sorry. We’re all sinful, and we won’t always be able to control it. However, with the Lord’s help, we’re able to succeed in controlling it, maybe not every day, but most days!

1.) Leave the room and go somewhere that you can take a moment to yourself, cry, and calm down. This is one step that I have found very useful for myself. Whenever I start feeling like I am not going to be able to control myself, I tell my kids, or husband, that I will be right back, and that I need a few minutes. Taking time for ourselves is GOOD. It doesn’t make us a bad parent, or spouse, to excuse yourself for a few minutes to take a deep breath and to calm down. In fact, I think that makes us even better because we show them that we know when we’re acting like a psycho, and we’re trying to change so we don’t unleash on them!

2.) Find someone that you can talk to, whether it’s a friend or a spouse/significant other. The Lord has given us people in our lives for a reason. Let me be clear. This doesn’t mean you just run to the next person you see, and talk to them about everything. Not at all. We all have that special friend who is our person. They’re someone that we can turn to, and we know that whatever we say is going to stay between us. The person that is going to encourage you to do the right thing, the person that is going to encourage you to run to the Lord. That’s the kind of person that you’re going to want to find that you can turn to!

3.) Find something you can do to help relieve your anger. What I mean by this one is some sort of activity that when you do it, you instantly feel better. For example, I love to cook and bake! There is something about it that is just relaxing to me. So whenever I feel myself getting angry, or even depressed, I will bake something, or just start cooking dinner early. When I do this I instantly start feeling relaxed, because I know I can control this. So when I see myself controlling my cooking, I know I can control my anger.

Lastly, and the most important one.

4.) Spend time in the Word of God, and in prayer! My friends, I cannot express to you how important this step is! The Lord is mighty, and is waiting with open arms for us to go running to Him! He is a God of peace, grace, love, comfort, and so much more. The Lord wants us to be joyful, loving, gracious, He wants us to be like Him. However, because of sin (thanks Adam and Eve!) we aren’t going to be able to be like Him. But we can try, and that’s all that He wants from us. The Lord wants us to turn to Him, cry out to Him, tell Him what we’re angry about, and how we can’t control it. He wants us trust in Him! Friends, I can’t begin to tell you the amount of relief that comes when you actually turn to the Lord, and tell Him everything, and then allow Him to work in your heart! There have been many times that I run to my room, lay on my bed, and pray to Him. If you don’t know exactly what to pray, but you want to try going to the Lord, then I encourage you to look up one of the many Psalms, and read one of them as your prayer! I promise you that the Lord is not going to let you down. You just have to be willing to believe that He is mighty, and able to help you!

Those are my 4 steps on ways to control your anger. They’re not easy, and they may not always work. But I would rather give something a try, then to continually be angry and blowing up at my husband and children!

I am praying for you all, and I pray that this has been an encouragement to you! As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you are in need of any prayers, or anything at all!

Until next time, friends!