It’s not a pleasant feeling staying angry at someone. I often get into fights with my parents and hold a grudge. How do I learn to let go of my anger?
Anger is one of the most misunderstood emotions experienced by all of us and as such is one of the most difficult emotions to accept & express.
You were right in your question when you said it’s not a pleasant feeling, but it is however a very normal feeling and therefore very much a part of every meaningful & purpose filled life I.e. angry feelings are neither bad nor good they are simply a human emotion.
In a sense your question actually holds the answer because “letting go” holds the key to forgiveness and largely becomes a cognitive choice.
To explain this better we need to understand what forgiveness is a definition I often use is forgiveness is the refusal to hurt the one who hurt you. The “refusal to hurt” can take on many meanings according to circumstances, and it encompasses everything from the refusal to “get even with” others, to the refusal to “get back at” others, to the refusal to prove to others—with arguments, protest, violence, or even self-sabotage—how wrong they are.
Forgiving is then choosing to “let go” even if that means accepting that what has happened to you may seem unfair or unjust. It also means that you are not saying that the person that hurt you is right it just means you are making a choice to “let go” so you emotionally free yourself and don’t become entangled in a web of grudge & revenge. In the case of your parents try explaining yourself using “I” statement’s for example when certain behaviour happens that causes you angry feelings communicate this to your parents by saying when you do this or when you say that I feel angry and I would prefer it if you would, and then explain the behaviour that you would prefer.
Hope this helps a little