Why do I get angry so quickly?

Something small happens and you're already at a 9. Later you replay it and wonder where that came from.

• Anger is often a surface emotion covering hurt, fear, embarrassment, or feeling disrespected.
• Low sleep, hunger, and stress lower your fuse before the day even starts.
• If you've had to protect yourself before, your alarm system may be set extra sensitive. That's protection, not a defect.

Before you decide anything, take four slow breaths — in for 4, out for 6. You think more clearly on the other side of a calm breath than in the middle of a fast feeling.

1. 1Learn your early signs — hot face, tight jaw, loud thoughts — and treat them as your cue to move, not to speak.
2. 2Use a 90-second delay. The chemical surge of anger peaks and drops fast if you don't feed it.
3. 3Ask yourself: 'What am I actually feeling underneath this?' Name it in one word.

Identify your top physical warning sign and decide right now what you'll do when you feel it.

Play it forward. If you take this step, what happens tomorrow? Next week? What does it protect — your peace, your grades, your relationships, your future? Leaders think one move ahead.

• One-Minute BreathingSlow your body down in 60 seconds with a longer exhale.
• EFT TappingGentle tapping while naming what you feel.
• Positive AffirmationsWords that steady you before you step out.
• Get HelpCrisis resources and a personal safety plan.