If you’re anything like me, these kinds of back-to-back curveballs completely throw you off your game. The moment something inconvenient happens, it’s like my whole mood packs its bags and goes straight south. Suddenly, everything is annoying. The kids are too loud. The dogs are judging me. The second pot of coffee I just brewed isn’t nearly strong enough to fix this mess. And honestly? It’s exhausting. But what I’ve learned (the hard way) is that living in that emotional spiral isn’t good for anyone—especially me.

So, instead of letting the chaos of life ruin my mental health, I’ve learned some skills to help regulate my emotions and keep me from turning into that mom who has a meltdown in front of her kids. My go-to? The Stop-Breathe-Reflect-Choose method.

Stop-Breathe-Reflect-Choose

Stop

The first step is recognizing when your emotions are about to take over. When you feel that inner storm brewing, pause for a moment and tell yourself, Chill. This is temporary. Sometimes, just acknowledging that you’re upset is enough to shift your focus.

Breathe

Take a deep breath—or several. Breathing deeply helps calm your body and slow down that fight-or-flight response. My favorite trick is to count to 10, take a quick walk, or even close my eyes if I’m not already juggling five things.

Reflect

Before you react, think about what’s really happening. Is it the flat tire that’s ruining your day, or is it the frustration of having one more thing on your plate? Is the dead battery the actual problem, or are you just overwhelmed by all the little things piling up? Reflection helps you separate the situation from the emotions.

Choose

Finally, choose how to respond. There’s a big difference between reacting impulsively and responding thoughtfully. When you feel in control of your emotions, you can make choices that serve you better—whether that’s asking for help, laughing it off, or just accepting that life is messy sometimes.

This method has saved me from more than a few dramatic outbursts in front of strangers, friends, and my kids. Trust me, it’s a game-changer.

Breathwork

Another tool that’s become a lifesaver for me is breathwork. I know, it sounds too simple to work, but the science backs it up.

Quick Science Lesson:
When you breathe deeply and intentionally, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which basically tells your body, Hey, you’re safe. Relax.

One of my favorite techniques is the physiological sigh. Here’s how to do it:

Take a deep inhale, but before you finish, take another quick inhale to really fill your lungs.

Then, exhale slowly and fully.

Repeat a few times.

It’s such a simple trick, but it works wonders. I do this when I feel overwhelmed, whether it’s in the middle of a chaotic morning or while dealing with life’s next inconvenience (because let’s be real—there’s always a next).

The truth is, life is going to throw flat tires, dead batteries, and random inconveniences at us. It’s not about avoiding the chaos (impossible) but learning how to handle it without losing ourselves in the process. Emotional regulation is a skill, and like any skill, it gets easier with practice. So, the next time life decides to hit you with a “series of unfortunate events,” take a breath, reflect, and choose to handle it with grace—or at least without snapping at your kids for asking for snacks again.

Here’s hoping my third disaster this week is something minor like spilling my coffee and not, you know, the washing machine breaking. Fingers crossed for me, y’all.

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How do you handle life’s inconvenient “threes”?
Share your go-to strategies in the comments—I might need them!