Maybe you have always been hot-tempered — but this time you crossed a line with your anger and you wound up arrested on assault and battery charges.
You don’t have to go through life in a constant state of fight or flight. There are better, and far healthier, ways to manage your anger. Read on for tips on how to lessen your rage so it doesn’t land you behind bars.
Find an immediate solution
Suppose you walk into your teen’s bedroom and once again it looks as if a bomb had gone off inside of it. Instead of ranting and raging at your teen, shut the door and walk away. You won’t be visually assaulted by the chaos, and this also gives you time to cool down until you can address the matter more productively.
Practice breathing exercises
Yogic breathing exercises can teach you how to control your breathing and remain calm in stressful circumstances.
Count to 10 — or higher
No matter how high you have to count, keep at it until you can deal with whatever provoked you without resorting to physical violence.
Take yourself away mentally
Allow yourself to be mentally transported to wherever is your happy place — the beach, the mountains, in a quiet forest atop a deer stand . . . wherever you feel peace. Remain there mentally until your anger fades.
Work it out
A regular program of exercise can do wonders for your mental health and help you blow off steam in a positive way. Take up martial arts, boxing, tai chi or another form of physical exercise to release built-up stress and tension.
All those suggestions can be helpful to you for avoiding future incidents. But, right now your priority needs to remain focused on dealing with the repercussions of the situation that got you arrested on assault and battery charges.
Working closely with your defense counsel can help you craft a viable defense to the charges you face. Even if conviction appears likely, your defense attorney may be able to arrange a plea bargain with the prosecutor whereby you avoid any jail time and instead seek anger management counseling.