Monday, March 28, 2011

4 Critical Reasons to Get your Anger Under Control

Anger is a powerful emotion. It is one emotion that all human beings experience. It can often have lasting and damaging effects on others if we do not learn how to control ourselves and our impulses. After seeing hundreds of new clients each year over the last 8 years, I have come to see some common similarities of how anger can cause serious problems in relationships. I have also seen first hand how anger management classes can help.

Here is a short list of some of the main ways anger is problematic:

1. Angry episodes can be the most devastating to a relationship. Eventually the person(s) who have been inflicted will leave you. As the old saying goes, "you can't un-ring a bell". With anger, it's the same way. You can't take back the devastating effects of a raging episode of anger. Keep in mind, behavior is choice. One can choose to behave good or poorly. Anger can destroy a relationship that may have meant everything to you.

2. Anger can be like a drug, don't make decisions when your upset. Most people feel like problems must get resolved in the moment they happen and end up having their anger guide them in a direction that their normal thinking would not have taken them. Most problems do not have to be solved in the moment. In fact, other than a life or death situation, most problems can wait a few hours or even days.

3. Anger steals our perspective. When we get angry, we end up only seeing the side of the argument that makes sense to us. When we are angry, our ability to see multiple perspectives gets out of wack and we end up passing judgment too quickly. Don't let your anger take away your perspective.

4. Getting our expectations in control helps. Often our anger is the result of being let down or having an expectation that hasn't been met. Learning how to manage expectations can help in staying calm and not feeling dissapointed with ourselves or others.

One great way to learn how to better manage anger is through an anger management class or individual coaching for anger management is at your finger tips. Seek the help you need before you end up ruining a relationship that is important to you.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Get The Best Anger Management Class You Can

What makes a great anger management class? Anger management classes can vary greatly, both in terms of content, but also in delivery. Both of these elements need to be considered when choosing an anger management course. You can have great content, but if the delivery method is terrible, it will make it difficult to learn.

Have you ever attended a program where the instruction was so painfully boring that you wanted to pull your hair out? It wouldn't matter how wonderful the material was, if you can't connect with how the materials are being presented, boredom sets in fast. Instruction in anger management is very similar. If one can't make a good connection with the presentation, then learning is going to be impaired.

Anger management classes are typically taught one of 3 ways.

1. Offered in a group environment
2. In a one/one or coaching capacity
3. Taught in an online class

If the anger management class is taken in a group setting the teacher should have appropriate credentials to teach the class. This would mean they are either certified in anger management or are licensed as a psychotherapist and also have specialized training in anger management. If the group is homogeneous, such as a group of corporate executives, then the language and examples can be more complex and intellectual. If the group is comprised of high school age teens, then the tone and content would need to be adjusted to fit this audience. An anger management class should be fun, uplifting, interesting and engaging. The content needs to be from a reliable program, such as the Century Anger Management curriculum.

One on one coaching should be an engaging and didactic experience where the student and instructor are working close together on very specific skills. Most one on one sessions will start with an assessment to determine areas that the client needs to focus on. Then the instructor can then focus on those specific skills to help the client improve. This might be in areas such as communication, stress management, empathy, or expectation management.

Finally, anger management classes can also be taken in an online format. These programs should be carefully reviewed. Take a program from a reputable provider with listed credentials. Advantages include 24 hour access to the class, a self-paced environment, and the ability to plan course time around ones schedule. Quality online courses will teach the same concepts from a live class, but are delivered in a format that is user friendly and easy to understand.

Regardless of the format, finding the right anger management course can be challenging. Just create a checklist of the things that are important to you, then seek out a program that matches those objectives.