How not to lose your cool in public

Resolve underlying issues With the kind of lifestyles we lead, it’s not surprising that the most common reasons for snapping under tense situations are anxiety and stress. Alcohol and high spirits are other factors that aggravate the scenario. Sometimes peer pressure also influences people to do silly things. All these push people towards doing things that under normal circumstances they wouldn’t attempt. Psychologist Dr. Harish Shetty shares, “It is human nature to snap under tense situations. So whenever you are involved in an argument, allow the negative feelings to come and go. Sometimes, you have conflicts and issues with your family and friends; resolve them there and then, else you might carry that anger subconsciously with you and direct it towards someone else. That would be using displacement as a defence mechanism. So to keep your feelings in check, do an emotional audit daily.” Walk away If you get into a situation where you can foresee that things might get ugly or escalate to a dangerous level, the best thing to do is to physically walk away from that place. Etiquette and grooming expert Rukhshana Eisa believes, “Excuse yourself and move away as far as you can. This helps as you won’t be face-to-face with a person who’s ranting or screaming at you. If there are mediators present, let them take you away from the opposite party.” Set rules for yourself If you are out in a public place, ensure that your alcohol intake is within permissible limits. Being drunk out of your mind won’t let you judge the situation objectively. Never get into an altercation in front of women, elders or children; it’s disrespectful. Another tip — no matter how instigating the other person is, try not to lose control of your emotions. Remember not to be the BAIT. Also, if you generally have high stress levels or an anger management issue, indulge in some yoga or simple deep breathing exercises. It will keep your mind at peace. Say ‘sorry’ You can always salvage a situation by apologizing. And by apologizing, we don’t necessarily mean that you accept you are at fault. You can simply apologize for the situation going out of hand or for the trouble it has caused. Remember, it’s difficult to repair a situation gone bad, so prevention is your best bet!