Sometimes we find ourselves responding to particular events with anger, and because we always respond with anger, we begin to think it is the event itself that is making you angry. However, the culprit isn’t the event. It’s how you interpret the event that makes you angry. We cannot physically respond to every person or event with anger: the law, social norms, and common sense place limits on how far we can let our anger go.

As well, anger affects your thinking. Memory, creativity, and concentration weaken. Your thoughts become accusatory, exaggerated, and rigid. You treat assumptions as facts; you may become irrational.

To help you determine whether anger is your best response, ask yourself: Is my anger helping me or hurting me?

If the answer is “hurting,” it’s a message that your anger is needless; it is making the situation worse. In these instances it’s time to respond differently.

The art of anger management (being able to transform anger from a negative experience into a positive one) is learning how to use your thoughts and feelings and behaviors so they work for you, not against you.