Something unexpected happened, and you freaked out.
Afterward, you felt embarrassed about your overreaction.
Trust me, I have made the same mistake countless times, including this week.
I also believe that we can both do better. Here’s how:
1. Tell God.
Duh, right? Seems obvious for Christians, but I don’t think we practice the habit often enough. As soon as you encounter an uncomfortable situation, say to God, “This happened. I’m not sure how to respond.” It only takes five seconds, and it actually works.
2. Tell yourself.
The smartest thing my counselor every told me was this: “Feelings aren’t facts.” In the moment, the tiniest problems can seem like the end of the world, so I talk to myself internally: Your feelings aren’t facts. Chances are, you won’t feel this way in an hour.
Feelings aren’t facts.
3. Distract yourself.
If possible, find a task to consume your focus. Hustle to the laundry room and fold a shirt. Play a song on your phone. Brush your teeth–whatever pops into your mind. At work, open a new document and start typing. Have a conversation with a coworker.
After about ten minutes, the initial wave of emotions will pass. Then you can revisit the situation with a little better perspective. Reacting immediately leads to regret.
4. Breathe alone.
Suppose the first three steps didn’t work, and you start to lose control. Go into the bathroom, shut the door, sit on the toilet, and breath slowly. Count to five for each inhale. Fill your diaphragm. Force yourself to finish ten full breaths before you quit.
5. Read the Bible out loud.
I use this step as my last-ditch effort when I can’t stop crying.
Through the gasping breaths, pick a Psalm at random and start to read verbally. The act of speaking serves as a distraction and requires more regular breathing. The meaning of the text gets you out of your head, and the Holy Spirit can start working on your heart.
Do not consider this a comprehensive list.
These five tricks happen to have worked for me in the past. In fact, I tried a couple of them today with relative success. I didn’t even need to resort to number five–but I’d still love to hear your top five tips for keeping your emotions in check. Leave them in the comments!
Let’s work on staying calm together.
Love,
The Reluctant Bride
The Reluctant Bride 
These are wonderful tips. I am going to try to try.
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