Are You a Thermometer or a Thermostat?

Every day of our lives we face interactions with people that drive us crazy. When we lose control of our emotions, it’s hard to see how we could have found a way to calm ourselves down. When we get upset, shocked, surprised, anxious, or sad, we need to remind ourselves that we do have the power to not let our emotions get the best of us. 

The first step in controlling emotions is recognizing when you get angry or withdrawn. This means you become a thermometer, checking your body, mind, and spirit for a change in emotions. The thermometer is important to see if you have a fever (angry) or have hypothermia (shutdown or withdrawn). This is an important step, where you become aware of your emotions. The next step is to recognize you have the power to make a choice whether to control your reactions or not.

Once you realize that you have the power to control your emotions, you transition from a thermometer to a thermostat. The thermometer only tells you the temperature, but the thermostat controls how hot or cold the temperature. When we become a thermostat, we use the power within us to not let others, or any external factors dictate our character, spirit, mind or actions. It is hard to be a thermostat because it takes a lot of inner strength to not let bitter people, traffic, late bus or train, crying babies, or an insensitive spouse or child, make us lose our minds. 

So what do you do when you get really hot or really cold – check your breathing. This is one immediate way to see how you are feeling. Doing a check on your breathing is a simple way to measure if your emotions are controlling you. Make sure you stop, take a deep breath, and step away from the situation. If we see ourselves getting angry, we can also check out tone of voice, as well as take a pause and respond consciously. Taking small steps like these can balance our emotions and gain control of ourselves.

What other steps do you take when your emotions see, out of control?