In an age of entitlement and technology, more parents are experiencing teen anger and rage. If you say “no” to your child’s wants, or attempt to remove their phone, in many situations destructive behavior explodes.
Are you dealing with an entitled teenager? This can be extremely frustrating; we are living in a generation of spoiled brats. “Smartphones are a privilege — not a right,” however this is not easy to convey to young people.
When teens are not able to get their own way, whether it’s not being allowed to attend a party, or stay out past curfew, your once passive teenager can easily escalate into fits of anger.
Teen aggression is a serious concern, and it is important that parents realize that their teens learn coping skills to handle anger and rage.
5 Ways to Help Your Teen Handle Anger
Anger is an emotion that is quite often challenging for teens and at times can be overwhelming, having the skills to help handle this rage as it is escalating can be priceless.
1. Physical activities. Keeping your teens involved in physical activities such as sports or other exercises helps them in expressing anger on a regular basis. Most teens, when they are feeling angry, have the impulse to act out physically — by participating regularly can help them reduce these feelings of rage.
2. Boxing. Teens need safe ways to work out their anger. Boxing has been proven to release aggression, improve mood, and reduce depression in adolescentsadolescents. If you do not have a punching bag, hitting a pillow repeatedly can also have the same effect.
3. Gardening. Have your teen start a nature project, whether it is growing vegetables or flowers, gardening has many mental health benefits including reducing anxiety and anger issues. Gardening is a great hands-on experience that can help relax the mind and ground yourself. This can help reduce stress and built-up rage.
4. Yoga. When you are angry or upset, your body tenses up and your breath quickens. This fight-or flight reaction can be normal but also harmful if managed incorrectly. Yoga can help you control your anger by teaching you how to relax your body and slow your breath. Certain yoga poses can also help release the physical tension that builds up in your body when you’re angry.
5. Understand what triggers anger. Taking the time to make the connection between what leads to angry outbursts can better help them in expressing this emotion. Communicate to your teens that you realize they are not going to like the answer you may give them, however acting out in a rage will not change the outcome.
Final thoughts
When a troubled teen still is not able to get a handle on their anger it is time to consider getting professional help to get to the root of their anger and learn ways to manage these feelings. There might be local anger management classes or possibly animal therapy that has been proven to help with these issues.
If your teen has escalated to a behavior that is completely out-of-control and is not getting better after local resources, it might be time to consider a therapeutic setting.
Also read:
What to Do When Your Teen Hits You?
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