Tips to help you gain control over your reactions and behavior. Watch for warning signs. You know yourself best. What signs tell you that Angry Child Mode is ready to kick in? Such precursors are quite individual: they can be bodily sensations (for example, tension in the neck-collar area) or irritated thoughts (“I’m fed up with all this!”, “No one cares about me!” If you quickly respond to these signals, Then you will be able to maintain a sober mind, and not explode from anger. Then you will be able to react more calmly to the source of irritation, which is better for both you and those around you. However, you should not put off expressing angry feelings for a long time! Express your anger gradually. your feelings. If the other person still does not listen to you, “add” a little more anger. This way you will learn not to throw out your anger in one gulp, but to free yourself from your feelings gradually. Take a time out. Sometimes a break is the best way out. You feel like your Angry Child mode is coming. If you are among people, you can stand up, open the window and take a deep breath. Or you can focus your attention on something else, for example, looking at the eyebrows or ears of the person sitting opposite you. This time-out will help you realize what you really want to achieve in this situation - what your needs require attention. Come up with a calming talisman. Many people find it helps to have symbolic things at hand (for example, a smooth pebble in their pocket) or a calming picture or photograph (for example, showing water reflecting the sky). For some people, a soothing song or melody has this effect. Whenever the situation becomes critical, feel your talisman in your pocket and hold it. Or imagine in your mind's eye the landscape you have chosen. Or play a melody in your mind. All of these actions will help you relax. Practice your new behavior in your mind. You may have already heard about mental training. Imagination exercises work in a similar way. Imagine a situation in which your Angry Child mode is activated. And then imagine in great detail how you would like to behave. But remember! Behaving differently in difficult situations takes practice. Material taken from the book “Breaking Patterns of Negative Thinking” (G. Jacob, H. Genderen, L. Seebauer). I look forward to seeing you at my consultations!