I’ve gotten angry a couple times recently, either during conversation, or while reading messages other people wrote. Afterward, lines from the situation replayed in my head- lines that I don’t agree with or that I find rude and disrespectful. To try and calm down, I started performing tricks in my imagination.
I imagine a close up of the person’s face as if they’re pictured on a TV screen, their words visible in the air, like how you can see your breath in freezing weather. They start to say the line that’s been repeating most in my head, the one that really gets on my nerves. Immediately when they start talking, the sound goes mute. Their mouth still moves, but it’s futile. From there, I picture any number of scenarios:
-The person’s words and their face turn into dust that scatters in a gust of wind.
-The person’s words and face turn into fast-growing flowers, like a time-lapse video of a Chia Pet or a meadow from spring to fall.
-Colors spill from the sky, like cans of paint pouring down, covering the words, the person, until no discernable shapes can be perceived, just waterfalls of gorgeous, saturated color.
-The person and their words turn into light that gets increasingly brighter, shooting out in sharp rays, practically blinding, until the whole screen blazes bright white, then serenely fizzles into nothing.
The image could be covered by snowfall, turn to stone, or fade to invisible. It could morph into soap bubbles that drift on the wind.
I’ve found this to be a very peaceful way of dealing with unsavory words. It doesn’t stop them from coming into my head, but when I transform them into something innocuous or beautiful, I no longer feel anger in response.