Anger Management Worksheets - Free Printable

This worksheet is about catching "thinking traps" that make us feel bad or angry, and then changing those thoughts to feel better. Since these questions ask about *your* personal life, there is no single "correct" answer like in math. However, I will provide example answers for each section to show you how to fill them out correctly.

You can use these examples as ideas, but it is best to write about things that actually happened to you.

Step-by-Step Examples

1. BLAMING
* The Trap: Thinking someone else is 100% responsible for your bad feelings.
* Example Situation: Your brother borrowed your video game controller without asking and broke it. You yelled, "You ruined my day! It’s all your fault!"
* What to do differently: Instead of yelling blame, use "I" statements to explain how you feel and ask for a solution.
* Draft Answer for "What I can do differently...": *I can take a deep breath and say, "I feel really upset that my controller is broken. Next time, please ask me before borrowing my things."*

2. MAGNIFYING
* The Trap: Making a small mistake feel like a huge disaster.
* Example Situation: You spilled a little bit of water on the table. You thought, "I am so clumsy! I ruin everything! This is a huge mess!"
* What to do differently: Look at the problem realistically. Is it really a disaster, or just a small spill?
* Draft Answer for "What I can do differently...": *I can remind myself that it is just water. I can grab a paper towel and wipe it up. It’s not a big deal.*

3. GLOBAL LABELS
* The Trap: Using words like "always," "never," "totally," or "completely" to describe someone or yourself.
* Example Situation: Your friend forgot to text you back. You thought, "She is totally selfish! She never cares about me!"
* What to do differently: Be specific about what happened instead of labeling the whole person.
* Draft Answer for "What I can do differently...": *I can tell myself, "She didn't text back today, but she has been a good friend in the past. Maybe she is just busy right now."*

4. MIND-READING
* The Trap: Guessing what someone else is thinking without asking them.
* Example Situation: You walked into class and your teacher didn’t smile at you. You thought, "She hates me. She thinks I’m a bad student."
* What to do differently: Remember that you cannot know what someone is thinking unless they say it.
* Draft Answer for "What I can do differently...": *I can stop guessing. Maybe she was just tired or distracted. I will focus on my work instead of worrying about her mood.*

5. DEMANDING
* The Trap: Expecting other people to act exactly how you want them to.
* Example Situation: You wanted to play soccer outside, but your dad wanted to watch TV. You said, "You have to come outside with me right now!"
* What to do differently: Accept that other people have their own choices and feelings.
* Draft Answer for "What I can do differently...": *I can ask politely, "Would you like to play soccer with me?" If he says no, I can go play with a friend or find something else to do.*

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Final Answer:

Here are sample responses you can use to complete the worksheet. Remember to change them to fit your own experiences!

BLAMING
* An example of a time that I used blaming is... My sister made noise while I was studying, and I yelled, "You are trying to make me fail my test!"
* What I can do differently next time is... I can put on headphones or ask her nicely, "Could you please keep it down for 20 minutes while I study?"

MAGNIFYING
* An example of a time that I used magnifying is... I got one question wrong on a quiz and thought, "I’m going to fail the whole class and never get into college!"
* What I can do differently next time is... I can look at the facts. One wrong answer means I still got most of them right. I can just study that one topic more for next time.

GLOBAL LABELS
* An example of a time that I used global labels is... My mom said no to buying candy, and I thought, "She is the meanest mom in the world!"
* What I can do differently next time is... I can remember that she says "no" to keep me healthy, not because she is mean. I can say, "Okay, maybe next week."

MIND-READING
* An example of a time that I used mind-reading is... My friend walked past me in the hall without saying hi. I thought, "He is ignoring me because he doesn't like me anymore."
* What I can do differently next time is... I can consider other options. Maybe he didn't see me, or maybe he was worried about being late. I will ask him later if he is okay.

DEMANDING
* An example of a time that I used demanding is... I told my dad, "You need to drive me to the mall right now because I'm bored!"
* What I can do differently next time is... I can understand that he might be busy. I can ask, "Do you have time to take me to the mall later today?" or find something to do at home.