Emotion control

It's not unusual that a “knee-jerk” response to emotions can have a devastating impact on our lives and that happy and successful people always seem to take control over their emotions. I wish I were part of that elite group, but I still have some work to do in that category. What to do seems pretty simple though...

Let time pass 

Refrain from reacting right away. Often it make us say or do things we'll soon badly regret. Before dealing with any emotion, always take a deep breath for several minutes to regain control of the situation. That's by far the most difficult part.

Find a release valve 
If you can successfully overcome the initial impact of the emotion, release it in a productive, constructive way. Never let it fester; if you can, get in touch with someone you trust, share what happened and seek council. Hearing what someone has to say may open up your views about the entire situation. If writing things down works for you, put your emotions down to paper. You can always kick the cat (if you own one), break some china (as long as it's yours) or meditate if you're able to quickly calm down.

Always look for the bigger picture 
If you can, place the emotion and its impact on you in context with the universe to get a just sense of perspective. We always say things happen for a reason, so if you share that belief, try to incorporate it into your situation.

Clean up your thoughts 
Negative emotions are feeding themselves upon former negative feelings, creating downward spirals that always drag us to the bottom. Time to be creative and replace the depressive thought with one of elation, a wonderful memory or thinking about what you love most or do best. Go one step farther and picture in your mind the situation turning around into your wildest, most satisfying desires.

Stop blaming others
These emotional triggers could be co-workers, friends, family member or just yourself. Don't leave room for “would-have, should-have”. Just make a heroic effort to forget and forgive. Throw away any resentment, jealousy or anger. Look at the situation as if you were a passive observer totally stranger to the conflict.

Remember that emotions are part of our daily life 
We often take the wrong steps when confronted with negative emotions that hit us on a continuous basis. By just following the above few simple steps, we can save ourselves lots of aggravation and soar over the petty and insignificant “grind” of life as well as above the tyranny of unbridled emotions.