Ever wondered about the best way to deal with pent-up anger? I used to think a punching bag was the answer. Now I know better.

“What’s that for?” I asked the girls’ dean, pointing to a punching bag hanging in the corner of the basement.

“I send girls down here to take out their frustrations,” she said. “Someone said kids need an outlet for their anger and a punching bag would help.”

“Huh,” I replied. “I’ve never tried that before. I wonder if it really works.”

She shrugged. “It’s worth a try.”

I never did think to follow up on the punching bag scheme, and I couldn’t tell if the girls seemed less frustrated or not. But since people seemed to think it worked, maybe it did.

Someone finally did a scientific study, and the results surprised me.

We’ve all dealt with pent-up anger at some point in our lives. Some of us thought we had to ignore it because Christians don’t get angry (hah!). Others may stuff it and bottle it. Still others may brood. Whatever our preferred method of dealing with anger, we may not know one of the healthiest ways to deal with pent-up anger involves self-awareness and taking a hike (or a walk or a run).

I’ll share eight steps to dealing with pent-up anger in a healthy way in today’s podcast. Listen in and tell me if you’ve ever tried these methods.

If your anger goes beyond pent-up and borders on Mount Vesuvius or boils over to hurt those around you, seek a licensed therapist.

You can find more on the study mentioned in the podcast here.

Wait! Don't punch that! How to deal with pent-up anger. #angermanagement #mentalhealth #selfcare
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Next week I’ll talk about a word you might consider erasing from your vocabulary.

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