My blog is visited by many people seeking “mantras.” What intrigues me is what kind of mantras people are seeking, and what they believe the mantras will accomplish: “mantras to control children,” “mantras to control stress,” “mantras to control anger,” or the creepy “mantra to control wife.”

Mantra for Control Anger

 Anger is a part of life. It happens. But from time to time, from heart-borne circumstances, oh look out! Anger gets under your skin, writes a check your pride can’t foot. Suddenly, life is a wreck. And then, with a wife to boot.We invest so much in being a safe person to be with, but it is near to impossible to have control over our emotion all the time. Learning how to manage anger is a significant part of developing emotional health.

 The good news is that there is an easy way to convert that anger into a positive force – a mantra: a short, pithy phrase that elicits wide-open brain circuitry, creating a sense of calm amid the chaos of life. If you give a control anger mantra a prominent place in your routine, you will gradually find that your emotions reduce in intensity, regulate more rapidly and, with them, so do your actions. 

 Join us as we unravel the science behind anger and explore how mantras can help make your emotional reactions healthier. You will learn specific tools to help in the moment and beyond to better cope with life’s challenges.

Also Read: Mantra for Good Health 

Understanding Anger and Its Effects

 Anger is an emotion shared by all of us in this lifetime. It is something we feel when we face injust are thwarted, or when we feel unheard. Feelings of anger are natural, but if not controlled, they can take us to a dark path with serious consequences.

 When anger wells up, our hearts race, our muscles tense, and our bodies flood with adrenalin to battle or escape an imagined threat. Anger clouds judgment.

 Unchecked anger has been linked to a host of health problems – high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, even heart attacks – and may negatively affect relationships where what’s said, often without a second thought, in the heat of moment, can leave an ugly scar.

 The first step to approaching angry feelings is unpacking the reasons that provoke them, and to do that you must recognise triggers in the moment. It is better to respond than to react, said psychotherapist and NLP practitioner Phil Hartwig. When things are hot, it can be harder to be clearheaded when you’re confronted with situations that trigger your anger.

It makes perfect sense that people looking for control would come to Left Brain Buddha in search of mantras to control children, anxiety, or thoughts. But mantras aren't about control. In fact, they are about recognizing and accepting how much we can't control. Neither our thoughts nor our children are within our control, and neither can our spouses! Our awareness and our responses can be controlled.

It may be because mantras conjures up images of hypnosis or mind control, a la The Manchurian Candidate, due to their associations with meditation and chanting. But mantras are just tools, the navigational instruments we use to sail upon the stormy seas of parenting and living.

An object of concentration; a formula, word, incantation, or prayer.

"Mantra" means "instrument of thought" in Sanskrit, and is derived from manyate ["to think"].

Mantras are tools, instruments. They cannot control our children any more than an iPhone can control the person we are talking to. But they can make our lives easier.

The desire to have mantras for particular purposes is understandable – for example, for calming down, or dealing with angry children. In light of the definition and purpose of mantras, I have put together an organized list of my favorite mantras for different life situations that are left-brain friendly.

Anger Mantras

Don't hold on to it.

We shouldn't let this phrase go because it has power. How much anger and resentment do we hold onto even though it doesn't serve us or help us? At some point, it's more helpful to be free than to be right.

There is a peacefulness within me that cannot be disturbed.

The deep calm and stillness we experience in meditation is always within us. Take a deep breath. This is one of my favorite mantras from Bethany Casarjian and Diane Dillon's Mommy Mantras.

Anxiety and Stress Mantras

As I breathe in, I calm my body, and as I breathe out, I smile.

As Thich Nhat Hanh describes it, it feels like drinking a refreshing glass of lemonade on a summer day. Taking one deep breath helps us relax. Putting a smile on your face – not a “say cheese!” smile, but a subtle Buddha smile – can dramatically improve your mood.

As it is, it is.

It can be difficult to accept the things we cannot change, but think of this one as part of the serenity prayer, accepting the things we cannot change.

Is there anything I need to do right now?

When I'm overwhelmed, especially with my kids or a jam-packed to-do list, this question helps me remember to focus on the task at hand, one moment at a time. Sometimes, it helps to focus on the tree rather than the forest.

Patience mantras

Remember to breathe.

Try three deep breaths if one felt good before!

There will be a time when this too shall pass, and I can handle it.

The crying will stop. Children will get potty-trained. As Casarjian and Dillon suggest, “I can stand this.” If you think you can’t stand it, consider it a crisis and get away. Take a deep breath and remind yourself... I can stand this. You can do it if you believe you can.”

Also Read: Healing Mantras 

Frustration Mantra

I salute you.

The salutation commonly used to conclude a yoga class conveys the message of, “I recognize and honor the divine spark within me and within you.” It helps me stay calm when dealing with difficult individuals. In the midst of frustration, I remind myself that we are all made of stardust and radiance, including the person who may be causing me strife. According to Buddha's teachings, unkindness stems from a lack of understanding of our interconnectedness. It's not about feeling superior to others, but recognizing that they likely need our kindness more than they deserve our judgment or criticism.

Parenting mantras

Let's dance!

When I'm trying to do something other than parent, I often find parenting the most challenging. When my children clamor for my attention while I am cleaning, writing, or accomplishing a task, I tell myself to put the work aside for a while. Sometimes life is all about mundane chores, and sometimes it's all about dancing with our kids.

The goat must be surrendered.

Mommy Mantras shared this story with me. The mom took her 10-month-old to the zoo so she could get out of the house every day. The baby loved feeding the goat, and watching it for hours. She wasn't sure how much more she could handle.

There will always be goats in our lives we have to surrender to - another round of “Let It Go,” building yet another tower, only to see it collapse, reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Our children thrive on repetition and routine, while we tire of monotony. Surrender to the goat reminds us to embrace the present moment as if it contained exactly what we had chosen. Casarjian and Dillon advise, “The more we accept the mundane, the less aversive it becomes, sometimes even joyful.”