Anger typically follows a predictable sequence: a triggering event activates negative interpretations, which produce physiological arousal and emotional distress, leading to a behavioral response that often creates new triggers and perpetuates the cycle (Deffenbacher, 2022). By mapping each stage of your personal anger cycle, you can identify the specific points where intervention is most effective. The goal is not to eliminate anger, which is a normal and sometimes protective emotion, but to interrupt the automatic escalation that leads to harmful outcomes. For each stage below, describe your own typical experience and identify at least one strategy you could use to break the cycle at that point.

Reflect on a recent episode of anger. For each stage of the cycle, describe what happened in that specific episode. Then, in the intervention column, write one strategy you could use next time to interrupt the cycle at that stage.