By Maryam Khalid

In Greek mythology, Zeus the head of gods had anger management issues. According to the mythology, Zeus’s anger was responsible for much havoc on earth. Every other god and human beings were always wary of what would come next. Anyways Zeus and his anger is just a part of story but there are many people in our real life who have the same problem. Their rage may not cause as much havoc as Zeus’s anger did but it may hurt a lot of people close to them. There are many moments in an average person’s day when he gets upset over certain things. He may say or do some things that he regrets after some time. So to control these moments one may adopt some methods to keep that rage in check.

Whenever something happens that is against your wishes quietly separate yourself from the situation and try to think out of the box. Try thinking of a solution that will be acceptable to both you and the other person. Always remember that the other person also has feelings and emotions and that like you he can be easily hurt by your words and actions.

Try taking a timeout from your daily routine. Fatigue from school can cause stress which can lead to a loss of control over one’s behavior. To avoid this try to take a timeout or break from your daily routine. A few minutes of quite time can help you control your anger.  Also try relaxation techniques. Whenever something offensive occurs take deep breaths and try to calm yourself. If you have serious stress issues you can make exercise a part of your daily routine. You can also join some kind of sports to encourage relaxation of your mind and body. You can also sing, sew or write etc, to channel the excess energy in useful ways.

There are many people in this world and each and every one of them has different tastes and opinions. If something looks appealing to you it may not be so appealing to another person. For example if you are going out to eat somewhere and you want to eat fast food but your friends may prefer traditional food. In this situation the solution would be to discuss and establish a compromise. Getting angry about difference in opinion will not help anyone. Try to be tolerant towards others. Always try to understand the point of view of the person opposite you and try to empathize with them. Empathy is to put yourself in another person’s situation and try to understand their feelings and problems. In this way we can understand the situation they are in. We can understand that they might be sick or worried about something and that is the reason why they were rude to you. Also people possess different opinions and personalities, so instead being upset on people’s opinion it would be a better approach to understand what that person is trying to say and appreciate their point of view.

Try to take other people’s opinion as positive. If someone says something to you that goes against your interests it doesn’t means that they are criticizing you. For example if your friends or family comment that you sleep a lot, it does not mean that they hate you for sleeping so much or that they are trying to insult you. It probably means that they care about you and want you to be a better human being. Learning to take criticism in a positive way is very beneficial.

Don’t try to exert control over others by talking loudly or by using force. You can make a better point by speaking slowly and calmly and by keeping a cool head in relevant situations. Being loud and tough does not help in solving delicate situations. Try to be moderator in a conversation.  Try to get your point across to the other person in soft and calming tones. Shouting and arguing only helps in increasing tension between two people. Often anger blinds you and stops you from thinking clearly.  If you have a difference of opinion do express it but try to keep the anger in check, as too aggressive behavior can weaken your point.

It is Sunnah, to keep a cool head and not to lose control of your emotions. Prophet S.A.W was rarely angry. He faced a lot of opposition from his enemies but in return he didn’t act rashly. He always kept a cool head. As a Muslim we should also try to keep our anger in check so that the people around us are not hurt by our words and actions.