Anger Management Assessment Exercise

Look over your past attempts to manage and control anger. The left hand column of the grid lists
categories of people who might inspire anger. If you’ve experienced anger in relation to one or
another such person in your life, fill in the corresponding boxes in columns 2 and 3. You can skip the
people triggers that don’t apply and add others not listed on the worksheet.

In column 2 describe how you cope to manage and control your anger. What do you do with the
feeling? Do you try to keep it from erupting or push it down? Do you talk about it or tell yourself
not to react? Do you try to relax or beat yourself up over it?

In column 3 describe the outcome of your anger management efforts. Have you succeeded in
reducing your angry feelings over all or ultimately controlling the anger? Have you been able to
protect your relationships? Have you been able to deal with shame, guilt, stress, and frustration in a
way that doesn’t ignite anger? It’s helpful to focus on the long term consequences of these
strategies and compare them to the short term consequences. Most importantly, what have you
traded in or lost because of anger management or control efforts?

People Who Inspire Anger Coping Strategy (My Behavior) Outcome

Parents

Other family members

Spouse

Children

Friends

Co-workers

Supervisors
 Anger Management Assessment Exercise
In part two identify feelings that might inspire anger. Examples of such feelings are listed in the left-
hand column. Fill in this chart as you did the first. It is often more difficult for people to do this
section as feelings are more abstract that concrete experiences with people. Take your time. Pay
special attention to feelings you don’t like or that have an unpleasant quality to them. Again, focus
on what you’ve traded in or lost because of anger management and control efforts. Some may be
similar to the previous chart.

Emotion that inspires anger Coping Strategy (My Behavior) Outcome

Frustrated

Ashamed/guilt

Stressed

Afraid

Controlled

Disappointed

Threatened