What to Do When You’re Angry

Anger is something that every single person will experience at varying levels.

It’s completely normal to feel anger, it’s an acceptable emotion and there are healthy ways of expressing it and some not so healthy ways too. So, instead of boring you with the same old ‘anger management’ techniques like counting to ten and deep breathing which only seems to piss us off even more (😡😡) – we’ve come up with 70 alternative ideas:

1. Hit the Gym

2. Do a martial art – like boxing

3. Try Yoga

4. Scream really loud

5. Play an instrument – like drums

6. Write an angry email – but don’t send it!

7. Forgive

8. Go swimming

9. Run 10K

10. Sprint

11. Listen to rally loud, angry music

12. Cry it out! 😭

13. Don’t judge yourself

14. Be honest

15. Call a mate, have a rant

16. Wait until it’s passed before you act

17. Shout a swear word

18. Play a video game (a relaxing one)

19. Draw

20. Paint

21. Smash some eggs

22. Throw a ball at a wall really hard

23. Kick a sandcastle

24. Throw stones in the sea/river/lake

25. Declutter and tidy your room

26. Scream into your pillow

27. Stamp as hard as you can

28. Leave the room

29. Play squash

30. Don’t eat your feelings

31. Punch a bean bag

32. Jump on a trampoline

33. Don’t take it out on others

34. Jump into a swimming pool

35. Pull up grass (angrily)

36. Listen to chilled music – (there are loads of playlists on Spotify)

37. Watch Hydraulic Press Videos

38. Try high-intensity interval training (HIIT)

39. Build something in Minecraft and smash it up

40. Have a bath

41. Stay away from absolutes

42. Lift weights

43. Cycle really, really fast uphill

44. Play Whack-a-Mole as fast as possible

45. Play Hungry Hippos

46. Tenderise a steak

47. Play table tennis

48. Play swingball

49. Don’t bottle it up!

50. Sing really loud

51. Pop a balloon

52. Don’t apologise for your feelings

53. Make a list

54. Don’t play the victim

55. Re-decorate

56. Re-arrange your room

57. Clear out your cupboards

58. Watch a TV show

59. Watch a funny movie

60. Make a change

61. Accept that being angry is OK

62. Dance

63. Don’t go to bed angry

64. Don’t drive!

65. Think positive

66. List the things you’re grateful for

67. Be specific on what you’re angry about

68. Have a cold shower

69. Pummel a punching bag

70. Smash a pumpkin

If you’re struggling to control your anger, sometimes there are underlying issues that need to be addressed, such as stress, depression or anxiety. The very best remedy for this is to talk! Do not tackle this stuff alone because there are loads of resources to help you get around it.

Join our community to start a conversation today or check out our further reading for more tips:

• The Link Between Masculinity and Health
• Guys: We Need to Talk About the F Word