Anger Management and Knowing When to Walk Away
Has anger ever gotten the better of you? Have you ever felt so
angry that you just did not know how to communicate with
whomever you are having the argument with?
Once you have reached your boiling point, the best way to deal
with the situation, at least for the moment, is to stop arguing
and just walk away.
It can be hard to walk away, but it is the only responsible
thing to do when you realize that your anger has overcome your
reason. Part of being responsible includes being sensitive to
our own needs and feelings as well as to the future maintenance
of a relationship.
We must learn to know when our emotions become too intense for
us to deal with in the moment and we must know how and when to
"withdraw" in a healthy manner by walking away.
I'm not talking about an "emotional withdrawal", where you shut
down and try to act as if everything is just fine when you know
it is not. I'm talking about totally removing yourself
physically from the situation without the need to be "right" or
to "win" the argument.
When your temper has been raised to the limits, you will not
even make any sense, let alone convince anyone of your point in
an argument. Here are some example situations that would be
considered a good time to drop your ego and remove yourself from
the situation.
1. If you cannot think straight or your point is just not
getting across to the other person, then it is time to walk away.
2. If you cannot stop crying or yelling, then the best thing you
can do is remove yourself from the argument. This is especially
good advice if you cannot stop blaming the other person,
arguing, and attacking them for things that have nothing at all
to do with the original argument.
3. If there is any type of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
that is happening, then you obviously need to remove yourself
and perhaps permanently. You need to realize that generally
things will only get worse before they get better. By
withdrawing in a positive manner, before it all begins to get
even worse, you can prevent further pain and anger in the
situation.