Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try counting to ten slowly as you breathe. Lengthen your out-breath, concentrating on the exhale of air from your lungs. Focus on the tension in your body as you breathe slowly; on each exhale, release that tension. Cover one nostril and breathe out and in on the uncovered side. Repeat 4 times, then switch sides. [2] X Research source
Guided meditation apps can be a great help for meditating, especially if you’re new to it. Some options that you can download for free include Insight Timer, Aura, Omvana, Calm, and Stop, Breathe & Think. [5] X Research source
You may want to go through your body consciously tightening and releasing your muscles, which helps release any tension you might have.
Take your walk away from the person you were just arguing with. If they go on the walk with you, it might be hard for you to calm down.
If you have a pet, consider talking to your pet about the argument. They can’t respond, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good listeners.
You can use a lot of the same strategies for cooling down after an argument during the argument itself! If you feel heated, try taking a deep breath, walking away and returning to the argument later, or changing your physical space.
The next time you see the person, acknowledge that you argued and remind them how important they are to you. If you feel bad about getting mad, apologize for getting angry and tell them that you’ve cooled down. If you feel hurt by the argument, consider telling them about your feelings. Make it about you and how you feel, instead of focusing on everything they did wrong.
