All fired up? 3 easy ways to tame your temper

Because we are all human, we often experience a wide range of emotions. It’s okay to go with your feelings, as long as they don’t completely cloud your judgment. When your temper turns up, rational decision-making often goes out the window. Consider these three tricks for cooling off that hot temper.

Walk away
If you feel your blood pressure rising, the most effective action you can take is to step away from what’s causing you stress. Whether it’s a confrontation with a coworker or just something that is challenging you, leave things where they are and change the scenery. This will help clear your thoughts and get you in a more sensible state of mind.

Reassess
Once your emotions are in check, think about why the person or situation caused you grief. Were you in the wrong and felt defensive or were you being too impatient? Chances are if you don’t deal with why you felt fired up, you will have the same reactions down the road. So, think about how you can approach things differently to come to a different (more positive) outcome.

Let go
It is never a good idea to hold a grudge because harboring negativity will only cause continued tension. You don’t have to forget about what made your temper flare, but forgiving and moving on is incredibly powerful. So, take a walk, give it time, and move forward.