Here’s a way to stop an emotional outbreak, which is right brain behavior. When you feel yourself start to get very emotional about a situation and you don’t think it is appropriate to react in such a manner (e.g., bursting into tears or blowing up and chewing someone out,) do long division in your head. I learned this from a friend of mine who is an artist and really right brain. I sure could’ve used it in graduate school on the day I went in to complain to the Dean about why I had to work registration every time, but my nemesis, Claire “the Body” didn’t have to. I got so frustrated I burst into tears when his answer was “Do it or forfit your internship.”
If you find yourself in a similar situation, just start dividing 2093 by 138. The act of doing long division automatically throws you into left brain, the cool, logical partner of the explosively emotional right brain. You will find yourself immediately becoming more calm and rational.