Life throws us all a challenge or two along the way. Some of
these challenges can easily upset our day, disturb our rhythm and generally
mess with our mojo. In reaction we can lose our cool. At times, we can lose it
pretty spectacularly. We are only human after all. However, one or a
combination of the below can help us all keep a lid on our cool.
Here are 22 Ways to Keep Your Cool:
1. Get
Some Perspective
Life is short. Too short to be losing our cool all the time.
Better to stay calm and take life for what it is. Take things in our stride.
Keep your cool.
2.
Identify the Internal Triggers
Oftentimes, if we do a little self-reflection we can identify
internal temper triggers. What is it that happens internally that causes us to
lose it? How can we work on this?
3.
Identify the External Triggers
Some situations and people can make it difficult to stay calm
around. Once identified, we can either come up with tactics that mean we avoid
them completely, or work on coping tactics to deal with them.
4. Count
to 10
Or 20 or 50
or whatever works. Clichés become clichés for a reason.
5.
Remember you’ll Regret Losing your Cool More Often than Not
If that’s the
case what’s the point? Keep your cool.
It’s stood
the test of time as a stress reliever for a reason – it works.
7. Step
Outside the Situation
Ever watched
others losing their cool and chuckled at how ridiculous it can all look? Like
an adult sized toddler throwing a tantrum. Someone’s watching you thinking just
that when you lose your head. It’s never pretty.
Feel the
initial reaction of rising anger slowly slide away
9. Pause
Distance
yourself from the inclination to just react.
10.
Depersonalise the Situation
Feeling
like the ‘victim’ of
some wrong doing can make it hard to keep cool. If we depersonalise the
situation we may see things a little differently.
11. Get
Over Yourself!
Oftentimes a
perceived dent to our ego is more to do with causing us to lose our cool than
what has actually happened.
12.
Picture Yourself as Someone Very Calm
How would
Yoda or the Fonz deal with this situation? Not by throwing their toys out of
the pram you can bet your light sabre (or Diner jukebox)!
13. Focus
on Something Else
Distraction
tactics can work for us here if we’re quick to utilize them. Think of something
that defuses the feelings of anger building. Happy memories and feelings,
thinking of loved ones can all take the steam out of anger’s sails.
14.
Control What You Can Control
If we focus
on what is truly under our control, rather than worrying and getting angry
about what isn’t, we are in a better place all around.
15. Put
Expectations to One Side
We
all have expectations of both ourselves and others around us. These expectations are not always
realistic or fair and can become the cause of us losing our cool. Better to
revise these and do our best to accept others for who they are.
16. Less
Sprinting All the Way
There’s more
to life than rushing through it and getting angry when things don’t run like
clockwork. Keep your cool.
17.
Forget Scoring Empty Victories
Crash, bang,
centre stage, puffing our chests out, taking credit, plotting and strategizing,
beating the opposition, holding our hands aloft. Winning.
More likely
the language of our times. Ironically it seems to lead many of us less to
success and more to dissatisfaction, frustration and stress.
There’s a lot
more to a contented life than scoring hollow victories.
You’re not –
trust me and save yourself much headache, heartache and temper losing.
19.
Reduce Friction
Too much
friction in our lives can lead to our fuses getting much shorter. We can
concentrate on removing and reducing as much friction as possible and leave
ourselves in the best place possible for living the good life.
20. Not
Empathising with Others
This is
related to a number of others on this list worthy of its own spot. If try to
think about things from someone else’s perspective maybe we’ll be less likely
to lose our own cool. This is of course especially important for those that we
care about most.
21. Be
Appreciative
There’s a
well quoted Tony Robbins line “Turn your expectations into appreciation”
Part of us
losing our cool involves our own expectations of how we want things to be. What
if we accepted them for what they were and concentrated on being appreciative
for all we have instead?
Truth be
told, we all lose it occasionally. It’s part of being human. We can learn to
turn the frequency down on how often our blood boils. We can find habits and
tactics that help us retain some calm but none of us are perfect and that’s
okay. Remember, we are only human after all.
Source: Purpose Fairy
