anger management
techniques used by individuals—sometimes in counseling or therapy—to control their inappropriate reactions to anger-provoking stimuli and to express their feelings of anger in appropriate ways that are respectful of others. Such techniques include using relaxation methods (breathing deeply, repeating a word or phrase, visualizing a relaxing experience) to reduce physiological responses to anger, replacing exaggerated or overly dramatic thoughts with more rational ones (see cognitive restructuring), communicating more calmly and thoughtfully about one’s anger, and removing oneself from situations or circumstances that provoke anger or avoiding them altogether.