5 REAL things I can do when I am angry/ or frustrated beside

s Eating!

Food is my mainstay, my rock, my protector - sometimes it is also the rock I throw at myself when I am down on myself, life, or others. These are a few things that I have found that are both useful and work well when I am angry and feeding my face is not an appropriate option! I've shoved amazingly random pieces of food - even my baby's teething biscuits - in my mouth when those feelings start to build and I am trying to push them down. Here are a few things I've found helpful when the temptations surge that are way-healthier than those useless extra calories:

1) Go in my room and take a pillow from my (very likely unmade) bed and beat the living stuffing out of it until the frustration goes away or my hands get too tired. You would be amazed at how quietly you can have a tantrum without anyone knowing or causing any self-injury in this manner;

2)If appropriate and available, walk to my car, drive away somewhere safe (aka NOT a drive-thru window) and park. Roll up all the windows, make sure all doors are locked and no one is around to give me a curious look and SCREAM as loudly and as long as I can. I have done this many, many times. There is the side-effect that I will likely have a sore throat after doing so, however will soooo feel much better;

3)Fingerpaint, preferably with a child. It is virtually impossible to fingerpaint and remain angry too long;

4)MOVE MY BODY! Walk, run, climb stairs until I am numb, sing if possible and whistle loudly: Monday this was what had me in the stairwells at work and circling the parking lots and my calves hurt a bit but I was distracted by my panting and felt at least a little better afterwards;

5)Write it out after I've calmed down a bit. I can write a letter to someone whose hurt me, I can write a letter to myself telling me why I am really a good person, deserving of love, respect and forgiveness. I can write out cuss words in GIANT letters and underline them angrily. I need to get it out - and thenI need to acknowledge whatever it is or whoever it is that is really bothering me and face it. Bringing things out into the light - making sure they are really - testing my beliefs and making sure that I am being fair to all parties and honesty are all things that will keep me from making a snap decision to shove food that I will regret later or that will (even worse) make me in turn angry at myself.