Canvas

I have made it a practice to be aware of my anger. Suppressing, repressing or sublimating it can be lethal. 

I have methods for dealing with my anger and frustration at the frequent irritants of life. When my anger is no longer functional by way of motivating me to creatively contribute to constructive change of a situation, I must use my mind to stop stewing. Stewing in my own anger is a great way to foster disease in my body and mind. 

Sometimes I find the blank canvas helpful. I have painted on canvas occasionally over the years. I have also frequently taken white paint and blanked out a used canvas in preparation for a new work. I can use my mind to visualize this process with my day. I can paint over the nasty events which have contributed to my stewing. Yes, this is a form of active denial. The operative word is "active", or conscious, or intentional. I do not regret my anger. I do not analyze it as deserved or undeserved. I simply stop the stewing, or ruminating. 

I have also used the image of turning off the burner under the pot of stewing anger. This is another form of taking away the obsessive energy from my anger by stopping rumination about its causes. 

I am a visual person, so visualization is helpful for me. Some people do better with music or dance or yoga to accomplish the same result. The point is to stop the rumination and move on. You can be assured the anger does not simply disappear, but dealing with it consciously brings greater understanding of it and mobilization of it into remedial action. Ruminating on it tends to create more frustration than results.