Anger is a natural emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. But when it reaches a point where it clouds a person's judgment, it can have serious impacts on one's mental health, happiness, and relationships. Expressing anger in healthy ways is key to effectively managing it and maintaining emotional balance. Below, discover three positive ways of expressing your frustration.

Productive Ways to Express Anger

1. Exercise

Exercise offers a physical means of venting anger that is also beneficial to the body and mind. Engaging in physical exercise burns up the excess energy that often accompanies the emotion. As this energy is released, you will naturally feel calmer and more in control. The motion also reduces mood-boosting endorphins.

Your physical health can improve too, strengthening and toning muscles, helping encourage weight loss, and increasing cardiovascular function. Go for a run, swim some vigorous laps, or dance along to a video. If anger is an ongoing issue that affects your mental health, consider joining a gym and visiting regularly.

2. Write

Journaling is an excellent way to express anger, especially if you're in a location where physical manifestations of your frustration may be frowned upon, like at work or school.

Write out everything you're feeling without censor. Be detailed and use descriptive words, but don't worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar. This will allow you to vent in a safe and confidential place. If you need closure around the issue that provoked the anger, tear up the paper into small pieces when you're done and throw them away.

3. Meditate

Meditation might seem like an impossibility when locked in the grip of angry thoughts and feelings, but it can be an instant defuser of intense emotions.

Find a quiet place where you can be alone for at least a few minutes. Sit or lay down and feel the structure of the furniture or floor underneath you; know that you are safe and supported. Take several slow, deep breaths.

As you breathe, focus your awareness on the movement of air in and out of your nostrils or on the rise and fall of your abdomen. If thoughts—angry or otherwise—start to intrude, let them in but don't attach any significance to them. Name them instead: "That's anger," "That's frustration," "That's disappointment," etc. Gradually, they will lose their power and start to fade. This may take some practice, but it is worth it.

If your anger makes you or others uncomfortable, consider professional help. Sondra Sexton-Jones is a therapist offering individual and couples therapy to clients throughout the Juneau, AK, area. She has more than 25 years' experience helping people find lasting solutions to anger, depression, anxiety, and other mental health and emotional disorders. Call (907) 586-3313 to schedule a session. Visit the website to learn more about this doctor’s capabilities.