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Anger journals, also called anger logs, are helpful therapeutic tools therapists can use to help clients manage their anger.
This article describes the benefits of using anger logs, provides anger journal prompts, and more.
Therapists can also download a free anger management journal prompts PDF to save to their electronic health record (EHR) and share with clients
Benefits of an anger journal
Anger can be a challenging emotion to deal with. It is felt on a scale ranging from feelings of mild irritation to fury and rage. The challenge is how we act on it.
When dealt with unproductively, anger can cause people to act with aggression or hostility, which could lead to emotional or physical harm to others, relationships, and damage to property.
The good news is that anger can be handled more effectively through productive anger management skills, such as using anger journal prompts.
Journaling about anger is a control strategy that provides a safe space to process feelings of anger, gain perspective, and take the heat out of this powerful emotion.
The other benefits of using an anger journal include:
Increases self-awareness
Journaling about anger increases awareness about the events or situations that led to the anger.
By writing about the experience, clients may learn more about what the anger is telling them.
For example, anger often masks feelings of hurt.
Using an anger log or journal offers clients the opportunity to dig deeper to understand what expectations or assumptions led to their feeling hurt.
Identifying triggers
Journaling about anger encourages clients to look for patterns and to recognize that there may be warning signs or triggers that occur before they feel angry, such as someone crossing a boundary, feeling hungry or tired, or being challenged by a loved one.
Look for physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive cues.
Emotional regulation
Rage journaling creates distance from anger to allow people to get perspective. Think of it as an extended timeout strategy that helps to regroup and calm down rather than act in the heat of the moment.
Taking this time to use an anger journal also reinforces the idea that clients don’t need to act on anger right away, increasing emotional regulation.
Problem-solving
Writing about what caused the feelings of anger prompts clients to look for solutions to the anger.
For example, clients might decide to talk to a friend, take a walk, workout, eat a snack, do some deep breathing, or discuss the issue in more detail with their therapist.
Strengthens coping skills
Using an anger log reminds clients that they have the capacity to cope with stressful situations, find constructive solutions, and reinforces that they don’t need to act on anger.
Stress reduction
Taking a few minutes to write about anger encourages the body to get out of a state of stress (fight or flight) and back into a state of safety.
In turn, this slows breathing, reduces heart rate, and calms the mind, allowing people to think more rationally and act more mindfully.
Improves communication skills
Using an anger diary helps to get clarity on thoughts and feelings, making it easier to communicate with others.
Tracks progress
Regularly processing thoughts about anger-related situations enables clients to gauge their anger management progress over time.
Enables cognitive restructuring
Using an anger journal is a helpful way to better understand what is driving the anger.
For example, someone might have unrealistic expectations and get upset when they and others fail to meet those standards. Or, they could be engaging in thought distortions like using “should” or “must” statements.
Getting clarity around these thoughts can help clients to cognitively restructure their thinking into more adaptive thoughts and behaviors.
Improves mood and well-being
Journaling can reduce stress, anxiety, help to cope with depression, and improve overall mental health.
Anger management journal prompts
Anger management prompts encourage clients to think about the situations and triggers leading to their anger, its intensity, options for dealing with their anger, and coping strategies.
These prompts can help clients get started with their anger log:
Situational prompts: What caused me to be angry?
Anger cues:
What am I feeling?
Is there a feeling beneath anger?
What does this anger tell me about myself?
What were my thoughts in the situation?
Was I making any assumptions in this situation?
Were my thoughts impacted by my feelings?
Do I have any evidence to support my thoughts?
Anger rating: How angry am I feeling on a scale of one to ten with one being mildly irritated and 10 being extremely angry/raging?
Behavior: How did I behave?
Considering options:
What are some different ways I can respond to this anger?
What does my anger want me to do?
Which coping strategies might be helpful here (talking to a friend, cognitive restructuring, exercising, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or talking to my therapist about the situation)?
What are the benefits and consequences of each option?
Which way to respond is most helpful?
What are my next steps?
Reflections:
What happened as a result of your behavior?
Were there negative consequences?
Could I have acted differently?
How did journaling help my behavior?
Tips for using an anger log with clients
Therapists can download and use the anger journal in several ways:
Use the worksheet in session to demonstrate how to process feelings of anger
As a psychoeducational tool to discuss anger management strategies
Provide the anger log worksheet to the client as a handout to complete the reflections in between sessions, then debrief at their next therapy appointment
Sources
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Anger.
American Psychological Association (2022). Control anger before it controls you.
Batholomew, N., G. & Simpson, D, D. (2005). Understanding and reducing angry feelings.
Reilly, P.M., Shopshire, M.S., Durazzo, T.C., & Campbell, T.A. (2019). Anger management for substance use disorder and mental health clients: Participant workbook.
Sokol, L., & Fox, M. G. (2020). The Comprehensive Clinician’s Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. PESI.
University of Rochester Medical Center. (n.d.). Journaling for Emotional Wellness.
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