Article: Take 15-30 minutes to observe your anger. Sit comfortably in a quiet room where you will be undisturbed. Close your eyes and take deep breaths. Think about your anger. Where do you hold it in your body? Does your head hurt? Are you clenching your teeth? Are you flexing your shoulder muscles? Do you associate your anger with certain colors or shapes? Now open your eyes. Breathe in through your nose. Then breathe out through your mouth. Write a list of the things that are making you angry. These can be large or small; nothing is too insignificant or silly. Remember, this is a time for you to observe and address your anger, rather than hide from it. Choose the top 3 things that make you angry, and make a short list of 3 strategies that can help remedy these situations. This will help you take control of your own feelings and make sure you feel empowered to change what you can change. Sit in a quiet room for about 15 minutes. Breathe deeply and close your eyes. Think about where your stress sits in your body. Are you storing it in your shoulders? Your neck? Your legs? Are you tightening your fists? Recognize your stress, saying, "I am aware of tension in my back." If something negative happens, observe your feelings. You might feel angry or stressed or sad, which is fine. But don't let those feelings consume you. Choose to view the positive angle of a negative situation. For example, if you missed your bus and need to wait for another one, take advantage of the extra time to treat yourself to coffee. People may say rude or mean things to you or about you. Keep in mind that this is their own agenda, not yours. Their unhappiness does not need to make you unhappy. When you have negative feelings, it is hard to stop yourself from wallowing in them. But having a Zen attitude means not getting mired in bad feelings. Take the first step in lifting yourself up by smiling. A great big smile will momentarily trick your mind into thinking more positively, helping pull you out of a rut. When you get into a negative space, your mind tends to run wildly, linking one negative thought with another one and compounding the negativity. In order to help your mind link different, more positive thoughts together, practice the following training exercise: Take about 30 minutes to listen to your inner thoughts. As your mind wanders, you may begin to hear some negative inner talk, such as "I am a terrible person. I forgot my mother's birthday." Immediately counter that talk with, "That thought doesn't serve me. Goodbye thought!" Tell yourself a more positive thought, layered with compassion, to reassure yourself of your value and worth. I have a lot on my plate right now. I'll make a list so I can keep track of details."
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Observe and address your anger. Pay attention to your stress. Check your response to a negative situation. Try not to take things personally. Smile when you feel down. Counteract negative thoughts.