Do You Have Emotional Control?

Our emotions, whether in or out of control, depend to a very large extent on how much attention you place upon them. “Know thyself”, are two of the most important words you’ll ever hear.

Supposing you become angry at something. Anything. I don’t mean an insane, psychotic screaming rage, but something relatively small has made you angry. Will you remember it tomorrow? Certainly not next week.

If you happen to be very angry with a particular person and you tear into them, calling them names and generally insulting them, not only have you lost control, you’ve lost whatever friendship and respect they may have held for you. True, they may have done something pretty naughty, but think before savaging them.

For all you know, they may have had a perfectly good reason for what they did, which isn’t apparent to you at the time.

Do you have emotional control? If not, then practice it. It’s so necessary and so well worth the while to look before you leap. But we all ‘let go’ without thinking, don’t we? The knack is to look past the immediate and into the future.

“If I do this, what effect is it going to have down the line?”

Just supposing you’re watching TV one night and something comes up that really lights a fire under you. Right at that moment, your emotions are out of control, so sit back for a couple of minutes and ask yourself why. What’s made you so mad, angry, sorrowful, happy, sad? By doing this, you’re keeping your emotions under control.

All right, you may still be as mad as a snake, but you’ll know why you’re as mad as a snake and therefore more in control.

You may be at a party, and a particularly beautiful woman attaches herself to someone you really don’t like very much.

“What in the name of goodness does she see in that jerk,” is probably the first thing that goes through your mind. A friend sidles up to you.

“Jealous?” he asks.

“Eh? What me? Jealous? Rubbish,” you reply. Anyway, you think to yourself, she’ll soon find out what a worm he is. Now this is rationalizing. Be honest. You’re damn jealous and that’s all there is to it.

Another thing to remember is not to let your mood carry you. Supposing you’re watching a long drawn out play on TV and frankly, you’re bored to tears. Why not say;

“You know, I can write better than that.”

Go and think of a story and try your hand. If writing isn’t your thing, even a simple walk will make you feel better.

Another plan is if you come home from work after a difficult day, and you feel definitely out of sorts. Relax in your favourite chair and let your imagination take you somewhere nice. Amazing how much better you’ll feel.