Anger is not a bad feeling.
It tells us something mattered — a boundary, an effort, a sense of fairness.
The feeling is always allowed.
It’s what we do with it that we can learn to choose.
For children:
When anger arrives, try:
Name it: “I feel really angry right now.” Just saying it helps.
Give it somewhere to go: Stomp your feet. Squeeze a cushion. Push against a wall with flat hands.
Breathe it down: Five big breaths, blowing out hard.
Then talk about it: Once the big feeling has passed, you can say what happened and what you needed.
For grown-ups:
This week, try:
Separating feeling from behaviour. “You’re allowed to feel angry. You’re not allowed to hit/throw/shout.” Hold both at once.
Naming without judgement. “You seem really angry right now” often lowers the temperature more than any instruction.
Practising safe outlets in calm moments, so they’re ready and familiar when the big feeling arrives.
Waiting to talk it through until calm has genuinely returned — a child mid-storm cannot reason yet.
🌱 A grounding moment — try this together
Stand up together.
Take a big breath in.
As you breathe out, stomp both feet, hard, three times.
Shake out your hands.
Take one more slow breath.
Notice how your body feels now, compared to before. 🫶
