Emotions can well up quickly, and before you know it, you explode. Whatever you do or say in an emotional outrage can’t be good. Your emotions impair your judgment, and you will always be the loser. Once the words are out, you can’t take them back. Stop and think before you lash out. Hold your breath and count to ten if that is what it takes.

“When I write a memo I think has the potential to be inflammatory, I create it and save it for at least two hours. Then, I read back through it and make sure I’ve gotten the emotion out of it,” explained Catharine Garda Newton.

“When I am angry I must be very careful because I am capable of using very cutting comments or remarks. I’ve learned to control this type of behavior by writing my thoughts down and working through the problem that caused my anger. This method prepares me to appropriately handle the situation and the person,” said Karen Harriman. “I’ve taken a hundred deep breaths and sometimes it just doesn’t help. At that point, I must make a decision to walk away from it, or if I am in a meeting, to reschedule to another time or day. This approach let’s me reclaim my sanity and my leadership,” she continued.