What to Do After an Angry Outburst

It’s hard to recover when we lose our temper. But it's possible. Learn what to do after an anger outburst so you can come back better.

Adobe Stock/ fidaolga

Did you just blow your stack? That’s OK! Even the most calm, cool, and collected among us can lose their temper once in a while. You can’t avoid angry feelings all the time, and for those moments when you let anger get the best of you, there are ways you can cool down more quickly and minimize the damage, both to yourself and to others. Mindfulness is amazing for this—it can be deployed in any moment, offering a fresh start, a return to equanimity, and even creative solutions to problems that seemed impossible in the heat of the emotion.

Mindfulness is amazing for this—it can be deployed in any moment, offering a fresh start, a return to equanimity, and even creative solutions to problems that seemed impossible in the heat of the emotion.

It’s essential to remember, however, that the “miracle” of mindfulness comes from turning toward your experience, not away from it. And, because the experience of anger can be quite unpleasant, humor helps! If you’re a visual person, imagine donning your scuba gear and diving into the underwater world of the body, or opening the mouth of…