1. Repraisal
Going in for the kill as a result of your emotions will really not get you anywhere and thats a fact. Instead of allowing your emotions to lead you to act impulsively, stop and refelct. Reappraisal is such an amazing tool for critical feeling. According to Psychology.com a short intervention of 21 minutes to reappraise conflict has been shown to increase marital satisfaction during the following year. No wonder psychotherapists have begun to use reappraisal as a tool to change the thoughts of their clients to alleviate feelings that impede normal life and healthy psychological functioning.
2. Stop Guarding
Ever had a family member or friend making a passing comment on let's say, your outfit or parenting style, only to feel scathed at the comment, but you sit there silently not saying a word. A lot of times through fear of coming off as an aggressor, or not wanting to be deemed hypersensitive we take in things that quite frankly we shouldn't. As long as you do not respond with negative words or behaviour then it's completely okay to respond with an "actually I don't like that because..." or "I really don't like it when you do that because...". If anyhting, it simply shows to the other person that you have boundaries and that must be respected.
3. Reflection
In times of despair many of us get pulled into a complete whirlwind of emotions and feelings. We then become consumed with the now and want to rid ourselves of the negative emotions by supressing them. This totally does no good. Take a moment to stop, pause and reflect on the situation, events or what's troubling you. Think about whether your reactions measure up with the situatuon and wheteher you may be overreacting. Think about why you may be reacting like this. Is it really about the problem you are facing or is there something buried deeper that has not been dealt with.
4. Get In Touch With Your Breathing
When we are feeling stressed or emotional our breathing goes out of sync and can becom very shallow. In times of high stress use a simple breathing excersise to center yourself again. Healthy breathing helps to calm the body and mind and can reduce stress and anxiety.
5. Write It All Down
Writing can give us just as much release as talking to someone about our problems. Write about the issue, why it is making you upset? Are there any feelings of resentment or anger and why? Offload, this is your chance to be completely honest without judgement. Releasing your thoughts onto paper will give a release that your mind and body will so be glad for.