Activity: Take Deep Breaths And Count To Ten

This simple but useful trick can help you in moments of anger and stress.

You have probably heard the phrase 'in the heat of the moment'. Sometimes we do not speak or act the way we normally would when we are faced with moments of strong emotion like anger.

This could happen when you are:

• Confronting someone
• Dealing with an unexpected nasty shock
• Caught in the current mood of a situation

Try this activity: when the going gets tough, take deep breaths and count to 10

When you feel a strong emotion rising up, take a few deep breaths and count to 10 before you say or do anything.

This will give time for that wave of emotion to pass. It gives you space to collect yourself so you can give a more considered response to the situation. Emotions are important, but if we let our emotions do the talking in moments of extreme stress, it can sometimes make a tough situation worse. If we take a moment to let the wave of emotion pass, we can react to tough situations with our best selves. That can help a situation improve. When the situation improves, that can help our emotions and wellbeing over time!