How do I keep myself from overreacting?

I believe I can best answer this question because I've struggled with overreacting and intense emotions in the past. Keeping yourself from overreacting is something one will need to practice, and by controlling your outward reactions, you are practicing calming yourself down in public. Just by continously doing and practicing this, you are training your own brain to not overreact in your own head and subconsciously, can calm down your own emotions, whether they be intense or not. However, simply expressing your emotions, feelings and needs through the moment should not be grouped with overreacting. If the person you are talking with groups those together, it is possible that person has toxic traits and in most cases would be labeled as a gaslighter as they are convincing you that your emotions shouldnt be how they are.

One useful way to gauge and control your reactions is to wait a period of time before reacting. Not everything requires an immediate response. If it is not a life or death situation, waiting a minute or two before responding will likely not make that big of a difference. Waiting will help you respond, rather than react. The difference is that an immediate reaction can be more like a disorganized, not-well-thought-out, more extreme kneejerk reaction, but responding is more organized, controlled, and composed. When something happens that you feel is in some way calling you to react, time yourself for a minute and a half. Let the initial rush of adrenaline and feelings drain out of you during that time. Then, when the minute and a half is up, compose your response. This should help you respond in ways more proportional to your circumstances.

It's good to take a look at the impact of your emotions before reacting or answering. The aim is to regulate your emotions not suppress them (because you would be preventing yourself from experiencing and expressing feelings). So try to identify what you are feeling and name it , is it sadness? is it anger? and ask yourself what do you want to do with this feelings, is there a better way to cope with them? It has been very useful for many people to take some time off before responding while feeling overwhelmed and about to overreact, go for a walk, drink some tea, listen to some music and give yourself a minute to think. Also keeping a mood journal can help you identify the emotions that pop out most frequently. Writing down your feelings and the responses they trigger can help you uncover any disruptive patterns, by identifying specific triggers it's possible to come up with ways to manage them more productively.

In order to help myself not overreact, I take pause when I feel my body reacting, with heightened breathing or flushed feeling, and I am mindful to speak in low tones. This way I am able to pay attention to how I am in the moment and how someone is with me. This helps to manage whatever situation I am in. Mirror neurons are amazingly adept. When you respond in a way with another person, it helps them respond likewise. This can be very useful in all sorts of situations, from being in a grocery store line to dealing with having to pay a bill that is incorrect. Mindfulness helps us to remain calm.

All of us have triggers that can lead us to overreact at times. If you know what those triggers are, yoi can learn to be more in control of yourself when your emotions are high. If you aren’t totally aware of what your triggers are, it might help to reflect on the past week and all the times something upset you. Whether it was justified or not, identify the things that bothered you the most. when things don’t go our way, it’s easy to lose patience. Try to manage yourself with the tips below, so that you can appropriately respond to the situations that arise in your life, one at a time. 1. Take a moment. Notice the changes within you (tension in your neck, hot cheeks, elevated heart rate). Keep breathing deeply, and cool down. 2. Rationalize. Think about what just happened rationally by bringing yourself closer to objective truth rather than your subjective experience. Find a way to be compassionate and avoid personalizing what happened to you. 3. Act. Express yourself with “I” statements, or remove yourself from the situation. If you're still upset, find a way to re-channel how you feel.

You need to calm your self step back from the situations that you say your overreacting find out what’s triggers are and go from there this is a life saver in early stages of issuers like this that way you don’t get over stressed and also you will be better equipped to handle the situations that you say your over reacting about try doing some exercises that calm your mood that way you don’t get so worked up it’s bad for your health to get like this maybe signs of something else early signs though just breathe take slow

Pause and take a breath. It will be easier to control the intensity of your reaction if you slow down and allow yourself to gather your thoughts. It might feel like it's important to respond right away at that moment but you'll feel more in control if you wait. The longer you wait, you might find that there's less you feel the need to say. Make sure you understand what the person is trying to convey. If they have said something offensive, remember that it's only their opinion and it doesn't mean that it's true. Keep in mind that you're in control of what happens next. When you're ready to respond, speak at a lower volume because being mindful of your volume can help prevent your reaction from being too strong. It might be helpful to keep your response short and to-the-point and then you can let it go and move forward from there.

Get moving Exercise is probably the last thing you want to do when your mind’s in overdrive. You may worry about post-workout soreness and being unable to walk or sit for the next two days. Or your mind might go to the worst-case scenario and you fear overexerting yourself and having a heart attack. But in reality, exercise is one of the best natural antianxiety solutions. Physical activity raises endorphins and serotonin levels to help you feel better emotionally. And when you feel better on the inside, your entire outlook improves. And because your brain can’t equally focus on two things at once, exercise can also take your mind off your problems. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity three to five days a week. Don’t think you have to struggle through a painful workout. Any type of movement is good, so put on your favorite jam and move around the house. Or grab a mat and break out into your favorite yoga poses.

This was a question that I struggled with for awhile while I was growing up. The best thing I do to overcome this challenge is stopping to think. I press pause on everything, take some deep breaths, and think about what it is I can do to better handle the situation in front of me. Sometimes stopping to analyze the situation can help you calm down and see things clearly before making a decision you may regret later. I made many rash decisions growing up from overreacting that hurt me and my personal connections with people that could have been avoiding by simply stopping to think.

Your emotions are valid. Overreacting is a tricky term, I am not a big fan of it because I have been told I have overreacted before when I felt like my emotions were valid. Its not a good feeling. However, if you do feel as though your emotions are out of control, I would suggest seeing a doctor. Doctors can refer you to therapists that can talk to you about why you are feeling as though you are overreacting to certain situations. Nothing is wrong with that. Doctors are there to help, so we should use them!!! Sending light and joy :)