When you're upset or angry, what do you do?

I beat it out

I know what I don’t do. I don’t post passive aggressive bullshit on Facebook.

I sit and pout.

I usually want to be alone or with a sympathetic ear. I sometimes write, or sing sad songs. I breathe, I pray, I scream, I sleep….

Keep to myself, watch an old movie, take a long walk… write.

It really depends on what I’m upset about. Often I want to be left alone, but if I’m upset about something that’s coming up, I often wish there were people I could be with to take my mind off my problems.

But other times I just want to hide somewhere and lick my wounds. Then I’m glad I live alone.

Pray…..

When I’m angry, I go looking for my gun. Then I remember I don’t own a gun. I say a prayer for gun control legislation. Then I go beat the dog. Except I don’t have a dog. Nor a cat, so I can’t torture the cat either.

It’s exhausting trying to figure out who to take my anger out on. Then there’s mys son and daughter. But they are way too cute to beat up. Finally, I try to beat my wife, but by that time I’m so confused, I don’t even remember whether I’m right or left-handed, so I can’t beat my wife.

Ice cream.

That’s the answer.

Ice cream.

I either talk it out to the point of beating a dead horse, or curl up in bed under my blanket and think.

Or, when I’m way, way in the middle of a rage, I clean the house or rearrange furniture. Nothing’s better than cleaning house when angry!!

If I’m really angry, I fall asleep. When I wake up, I’m still angry, but without the rough, irregular edges that fury can bring. Then I decide what, if anything, I can do about it.

I tell people what’s going on. Even just on the internet. For some reason, it helps.

Fire up the cauldron.

I’m a talker. Initially I might spend time thinking about it. This might mean going for a walk. Sitting in a quiet place for a while. Eventually and if I am still upset, I will seek out people I feel I can trust to talk things through with. Often it’s about needing a reality check. “was I justified in being upset about this?” rather than “what should I do about this?” Then I need time to get over whatever has upset me or I will work out what I need to do in terms of action. If it’s serious and demands a real response, after I have talked it through with trusted friends (and most often my husband) I will take the action required.

I sit alone. I often write as if I’m writing to the offender in question. Then I muster up the courage to talk it out with the person, which usually doesn’t go all that well because I like to beat dead horses too much.

Then we part ways, both still a little angry. Eventually, I get over it. But really I just bury it deep and take it out on my friends and family.

Rinse, repeat.

Stamp my feet, pull a pet lip so big you could pull it over my head & use it for a shower cap, demand sweeties & watch teletubbies…ahh, tinky winky make mister nasty hufflepuffs go away.

I usually get tense and frustrated and begin mentally reviewing whatever incident made me angry…

…until I remember that nothing made me angry; I chose to be angry as a response to something I didn’t like. Once that realization occurs I’m able to allow the negativity to dissipate; the anger goes away.

Then I berate myself for my unwillingness to sidestep the anger (angry thoughts) to begin with.

A big improvement considering I used to lash out verbally at anyone who “made me angry”.

Or break things.

(Nothing like brash, immature bursts of violent aggression to made bad situations unforgivably worse.)

I become morose dark and locked in my head.

I go for a walk. I definitely don’t want to talk to anyone or have anyone talk at me.

@mazingerz88 Toil and Trouble! and @Shippy that too. Pull in and hide.

Restraining from mentally adding fuel to the fire burning inside me.