Self-help Articles

by Raymond Novaco, Ph.D.

A first step in anger control is to become an expert at your own anger patterns, knowing when you are angry and exactly what has made you angry. An important part of self-control is being in tune with your feelings and the things that arouse them. But, in addition to the background knowledge about anger in general, you need to be informed about the patterns and triggers for your specific anger problems.

A useful and important way to become educated about your anger patterns is to keep journal of anger incidents. In this diary you should record the anger incident and your anger intensity. You might also record the duration of anger, and how you expressed it.

By keeping the anger journal we can discover the situations that are linked to anger for you and what things operate as “anger triggers.” As well, you might begin to consider when an angry reaction was not necessary or was not in your best interest. Unnecessary anger is often due to fatigue, pressures, conflict, and even insecurity. Taking the time to write about your anger episodes can help you realize when you are over-reacting. Also, your anger journal entries can help you tell when your anger problem is not so much related to the specific situation, but rather, your thoughts and/or actions have served as your "anger triggers."

About the Author

Raymond W. Novaco, Ph.D., pioneered cognitive-behavioral therapy for anger, coining the term “anger management”, and demonstrated the effectiveness of his treatment approach in empirically-based clinical research. He received the Best Contribution Award from the International Society for Research on Aggression (1978), the Distinguished Contributions to Psychology Award from the California Psychological Association (2000), and the Academic Award from the Division of Forensic Psychology of the British Psychological Society (2009). Dr. Novaco is a professor of psychology in the Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine.