How to Control Your Emotions

While there's nothing wrong with feeling things strongly, there are plenty of times when it's inappropriate to show those strong feelings. For times like that, it's important to learn to control your emotions. The following tips will help you hide your feelings during situations where excessive emotion is considered inappropriate.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify the emotions you need to control. If you are prone to angry flare-ups, then find coping mechanisms that work for you. Steps 2 to 4 offer some coping mechanisms to try.

• 2

  Focus on your breathing. Breathe deeply and slowly to help reduce your heart rate and bring more oxygen to your brain. When you focus on your breathing, you shift your thoughts from the emotions you're feeling, removing them from the forefront of your mind. Counting to 20 while you breathe works well for many people.

• 3

  Use visualization. Imagine soothing situations or colors you find relaxing. This method is a very effective way to control your emotions during stressful or high-anxiety times or if something has made you very angry.

• 4

  Concentrate on an item in the distance for several minutes. This focus will put your energy on something other than the emotions you're feeling.

• 5

  Remove yourself from a stressful situation to prevent any blow-ups. You don't need to remove yourself for a long time-just long enough to acknowledge your feelings, perhaps vent in private and then return to the situation.

• 6

  Acknowledge the emotion you were feeling at the time when you couldn't effectively express it. Usually emotions that you don't want to show in public are negative and you need to acknowledge these negative feelings in order to deal with them. Ask yourself why you were angry or what stressed you out about the situation.