I become very irritable when I am in a state of mania. Because this can sometimes happen so quickly, taking a time out can be hard! What are some coping skills we can use to help?

I felt very irritable today after feeling better than usual but then being startled by a very loud noise which made me angry instantly and I couldn't wind down easily from it. I'm not sure if it was mania or just generalized anxiety or side effects from meds and too much caffeine...had a hard time sitting still and my thoughts were racing. I've had anxiety attacks before but most of them don't involve that much wanting to move around and being irritable. Eventually I felt more stable instead of plunging to the other extreme so maybe it isn't....but for irritability overall I find when I seem to be caught in escalating annoyance or anger that humor (thinking of or seeing/hearing something silly enough to laugh at) will bring that irritation to a halt. I think it's cause laughter uses a different part of the brain that isn't compatible with anger so it tricks mind into stopping one thing to do the other.