In this article, you will find 10 journaling prompts for anger, along with some information about how anger can be a pretty helpful emotion…even when it doesn’t feel like it.
As an anger coach, “How do I work through my anger?” is a question I get asked all the time. In my professional opinion, journaling is a powerful tool to help you better understand your emotions, especially anger.
Anger can be such a tough emotion to work through because sometimes, it’s really triggering. Many of us didn’t have good examples of healthy anger while we were growing up. We saw our parents scream and yell while others passive-aggressively dealt with their feelings.
As a child, unhealthy expressions of anger can be SO scary! Children don’t have the emotional capacity to be able to handle them and the fight or flight response takes over. Then as we grow up, we either mimic our parent’s angry outbursts or turn into people-pleasers, avoiding conflict at all costs.
Anger is a valid dang emotion!
A lot of professionals say that anger is a secondary emotion, meaning that it stems from another emotion being felt. For example, say that you are really hurt that your partner came home and kissed the kids first instead of saying hi to you.
You might just notice this and move on but later on, in the evening, he leaves his plate in the sink after you’ve cleaned the kitchen. This then really sets you off and you start screaming at him about how inconsiderate that was and does he even ever notice how much you do around the house?
The anger is an expression of the hurt that you felt earlier at not being seen and acknowledged when he first came home.
But whether anger is a primary or secondary emotion, it is valid! It’s a clue that something is going on in our lives or surroundings that is making us uncomfortable. And while it may not feel good, it is part of the human experience.
Getting mad can be loving too
It’s easy to make anger mean something about us… “I’m a bad mom for being angry with my kids.” You get caught up in the stories running through your brain about anger…and a lot of times, anger just doesn’t really feel good.
However, anger is not always a bad thing. Anger is the first emotion that bubbles to the surface to protect us from feeling the more vulnerable feelings underneath.
When you’re feeling irritated at your husband for playing on his phone, that anger is protecting you from feeling unseen and ignored. That’s a pretty loving thing for anger to do for you.
Turning the narrative around on your anger is a really good way to get more in control of it. Instead of looking at it as a bad thing that has to go away, begin to look at it as a loving protector of you.
Getting to know your anger and the ways it’s working to protect you is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.
Journaling prompts for anger
If you are ready to begin exploring your anger, here are 10 journaling prompts for anger.
- If my anger was an animal, what animal would it be? Why?
- What types of things make me angry?
- What words could I use to describe my anger? (Explosive, boiling, hot, simmering, etc.)
- What does my anger feel like in my body?
- How do I express my anger?
- If I let my anger talk, what would it say?
- What other emotions accompany my anger?
- Does my anger need something from me?
- In what ways is my anger protecting me?
- What am I gaining by being angry?
I would love to know how these questions helped you get to know your anger. Send me an email at sarah@sarahmertzlufft.com or find me on Instagram and let me know!
And if you are struggling with your anger, book a call with me today and we can talk about it.