If you clicked on this article, theres a chance youre angry.
Maybe youre more than angry.
Maybe youre experiencing a white-hot rage that burns through your body and steals your breath.
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Maybe youre shedding angry tears amid this chaoticelection season.
Or maybe your anger is mingling with grief from the immeasurable impact of thenew coronavirus pandemic.
If youre angry and you know it: Same.
But, for the sake of your health and well-being, its still important to process that anger.
Anger is sometimes more acceptable to express.
Below youll find advice on how to deal with anger and rage youre feeling right now.
Acknowledge that youre pissed off.
Have we mentioned this one already?
Well, we cant say it enough.
Give yourself permission to feel anger and rage.
Angerlikeany other emotionis information,Cicely Horsham-Brathwaite, Ph.D., a counseling psychologist and mindset coach, tells SELF.
And it’s something to push away, she explains.
Identify whats triggering you (and be specific).
Basically, a catchall for things a lot of us are feeling right now.
So ask yourself what’sspecificallytriggering you.
Can you pinpoint exactly what about these unfolding events has you feeling overwhelming rage?
Its okay if you’re able to list everything from fracking to voter suppression.
Getting granular helps you identify how to proceed.
Take a few deep breaths.
Anger triggers your bodys fight-or-flight response.
Rage often requires some sort of movement, Horsham-Brathwaite says.
Something needs to be done with it, and quite literally, sometimes that is a movement like dancing.
If dancing isnt your thing, try going for a rage run or doing some otherstress-busting activity.
Lean into self-care practices that have worked for you before.
Everything feels scary and uncertain, but one thing that is constant is, well, you.
This isnt the first difficult circumstance youve faced, and it wont be the last.
Remembering that you are resilient is a key component involved in getting through hardships.
Reach out to your friends, family, and community.
Self-care is important, and sometimes it involves your communityespecially when the temptation to isolate might be strong.
Being in community is a way to navigate rage, Horsham-Brathwaite explains.
Rage is not just an individual experience; it is a communal, collective experience.
So connect with others, even if its onZoom.
Do activist work if you feel so inclined.
This allows you to channel your rage in the service of others.
If youre doing activist work IRL, remember that the new coronavirus pandemic is still a reality.
it’s crucial that you gather andprotest safely.
Wear a mask, use hand sanitizer frequently, and social distance wherever possible.
Also, feel free to think outside of the box a bit.
Activism can come in all forms, Horsham-Brathwaite says.
It can include art.
Write your rage out.
Perhaps your rage is rooted in the worst-case scenario rather than reality.
If so, writing down your rage might encourage you to see things a bit more clearly.
Because logic tends to suffer when were enraged,the APAsays.
Talk to a mental health professional.
Theres no shame in raging, and theres absolutely nothing wrong with seeking support.
Issues like accessibility are real barriers to getting care, but there areaffordable mental healthoptions available.
Additionally,online support groupscan provide nurturing spaces where you’re able to process your feelings with others.
