Mindfulness for Anger and Stress Management

Managing Anger > 1. Intro > 2. Our Anger > 3. In the Moment > 4. In the Long Run > Mindfulness

MINDFULNESS for Anger

Focusing on the moment to better regulate our emotions.

Mindfulness helps us control our responses to anger-provoking situations

Mindful meditation practice has been the biggest thing…sometimes it is incredibly difficult, sometimes it is enlightening. But it has become a time in my day to let all my thoughts out…without judging yourself for having the thought, and then come back to focus on your breath. It’s like a press-up for your mind.” – Owen, 45

At its core, mindfulness fosters a heightened awareness, enabling us to focus on the present moment while maintaining emotional balance. This can help us better control our responses to feelings of anger – which can help prevent us from reacting in a way that makes things worse.

Learning mindfulness techniques equips us with a readily available skillset to navigate situations when experiencing strong emotions. 

We have a much more in-depth introduction to mindfulness in our Mindfulness for Men Course, but we’ll go over one example practice here. 

Mindfulness Meditation

One of the main components of mindfulness is a detached (non-judgmental) way of looking at things. If you feel frustrated or skeptical, that’s natural. Instead of quitting, acknowledge those thoughts and refocus on the practice. This concept can later help us to notice how our anger manifests in our body and start to relax, increasing our self-control.

Mindfulness takes routine practice and repetition before we start to see benefits, but even starting with five minutes a day, two or three days a week can help us get more comfortable with it. 

Here’s a quick 5-minute mindfulness practice that helps us get better in touch with our thoughts and emotions so we can notice them quicker, rather than getting caught up in them (like only noticing how angry we’ve gotten after an angry outburst). 

Before you start

  • Get in a comfortable position sitting or lying down, with your back straight
  • Close your eyes or lower your gaze 

Find a point of focus

  • This could be your breathing, and the sensation of air flowing in your nose and out your mouth, or the feeling of your belly rising and falling
  • If you like, you can also visualize your breath as waves coming in on a beach

Notice when your mind wanders

  • If your mind wanders, or uncomfortable thoughts or emotions come up, experience them instead of fighting them
  • Then gently turn your attention back to your point of focus
  • It may feel like you’re doing this constantly, and that’s okay. It’s natural for the mind to wander. 

Return your attention to your point of focus

  • Without judgment (or while noting feelings of frustration), return your attention to your point of focus and start again. 

Release

  • When your five minutes are up, gently open your eyes or raise your gaze. 
  • Take a few deep breaths, while also trying to notice what thoughts and feelings come up. 

With more practice, our thoughts may also start to wander less as we get better at directing and maintaining our focus, meaning we’re more in control of them.

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