Know Your Triggers

Address the past if possible and resolve any emotional leftovers you might have: vent to a friend or keep a journal.

Emotional baggage becomes more fuel when your bomb goes off.

• Internal: they overthink the things that don't go their way and are unable to put their focus onto something else.
• External: they yell, scream, or snap back at people when something isn't exactly how they want it.

Not all intense responses are overreactions.

The problem arises when you start to react in a bigger way than justified.  Overreactions never make the situation better.

• Freeze: Notice the changes within you (tension, temperature, heart rate). Keep breathing and cool down.
• Analyze: Think about what just happened rationally. Find a way to be compassionate and avoid personalizing what happened to you.
• Act: Express yourself with "I" statements or remove yourself from the situation. If you're still upset, find a way to rechannel how you feel.

• Separate yourself from the event to gain an outside perspective.
• Don't punish yourself for overreacting.
• Ask yourself: Why did I do that? What could I have done differently? Did it even matter?

Take a deep breath. It will slow down your fight or flight response and allows you to choose a more thoughtful and productive response.