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Meeting Anger Early
For anger that arrives fast and leaves a mess behind. Each day gives you one way to notice it sooner, cool it a little, and say what you mean without the heat, one practice at a time.
Anger · Anger · Emotion Regulation · one to-do a day · you choose how many days
The first seven days
- Day 1Write down the last three things that made you angry. Look for what they have in common.
- Day 2Notice where anger shows up in your body first today: jaw, chest, hands, stomach.
- Day 3When you feel a flash of anger, breathe out slowly for a count of six before you say anything.
- Day 4Practice the phrase "I need a minute" and use it once today if you need it.
- Day 5Write down what you were really feeling underneath your last angry moment. Hurt? Scared? Tired?
- Day 6Unclench your hands and jaw on purpose five times today.
- Day 7Take a ten-minute walk when something irritates you, before responding.
Further into the year
The to-dos keep changing as the year goes on. A few from later in this theme:
- Day 30Review your notes from this challenge and pick the one early sign of anger you can now spot. Watch for it.
- Day 60Tell a coworker what you need from them in the form of a request, not a complaint, once today.
- Day 120Take the stairs slowly instead of quickly when you feel worked up, and count each step.
- Day 240Ask for what you want by name instead of hinting once today, and notice whether the anger shrinks.
- Day 365Rest your hands palm-up on your knees for one minute after a frustrating call, and let them stay open.
How a challenge works
A Theraglee challenge is a theme with one small to-do for every day of a year. You choose how long yours runs, anywhere from a week to the full year, and each day you get the next to-do: something that takes a few minutes and fits inside an ordinary day. Tick it off when it is done. Nothing is scored and nothing is lost if you miss a day; the next to-do is simply waiting when you come back.
Challenges come with a free Theraglee account, which never asks for a card. Your progress stays private to you.