All of us have experienced anger in some way. We can easily think of an incident (real or perceived) that provokes strong feelings in us. Someone who is rude or cuts us off in traffic, a child or partner who does not appreciate us, a new tax, or a reminder of an old wrong can all provoke feelings of anger.

This course will help you to explore the causes of anger, the different ways that anger presents itself, and coping tools that you can use. The information here can help you to manage your own anger effectively; to recognize when anger is the behavior that you are faced with even if it is masked as something else; and to recognize and respond to or diffuse anger in your work, family, and social lives. We will consider ways to change negative thinking, and ways to help develop healthier behaviors and a more fulfilling life.

At the end of this workshop, participants should be able to:

• Recognize how anger affects your body, your mind, and your behavior
• Use the five-step method to break old patterns and replace them with a model for assertive anger
• Control their emotions when faced with other peoples’ anger
• Identify ways to help other people safely manage some of their repressed or expressed anger.

Course Outline

Introduction and Course Overview

You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Participants will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

What is Anger?

What exactly is anger? How does it affect us, our family, and our friends? What are the five dimensions of anger? We will provide a framework for you to discuss these questions with participants.

Managing Your Anger

Whether we realize it or not, people often rationalize our anger by identifying the benefits. During this session, we will look at those “benefits” and identify the myths behind them.

The Anger Process

There are two events which lead to anger, and there are specific coping strategies that we can use to mitigate the impact of those events. You will help participants identify those events and strategies through personal anger logs and a case study.

How Does Anger Affect Thinking?

There are four specific ways in which anger can affect your thinking: magnifying, destructive labeling, imperative thinking, and making assumptions about what other people are thinking.

Managing Anger

When a person begins to get angry, there are some specific verbal, physical, and mental strategies they can use to cope. During this session, you will discuss these strategies and help participants customize them.

Communicating Better

Often people who are most angry are people who haven’t developed their communication skills to the level they would like, and as a result they feel frustrated and misunderstood. During this session, we will discuss the four-step message, listening skills, questioning skills, and three keys participants can use to unlock the best in people.

Behavior Types

During this session, participants will work in small groups to discuss passive, manipulative, assertive, and aggressive behaviors.

Taking Control

To wrap up the day, we will look at some ways to help participants take control of themselves and a situation to prevent becoming angry.

Workshop Wrap-Up

At the end of the day, participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.