Originally Posted by jillio

PiyoPuyo had some very good suggestions. Removing yourself from the situation so that you have wome quiet time to get your emotions under control helps. It allows you to look at the situation more objectively. Also, when it comes to friendships and relationships, we often react to things based on a situation in the past that makes us read intentions into the situation that weren't really there. For instance, if we have been hurt in the past, we will be overly sensitive to anything we perceive as a slight or an insult, even if perhaps it wasn't intended that way. Many times, all we need to do is ask ourself if the way we feel is really the result of what just happened, or the way we feel about what just happened because of something we experienced in the past. Quite often, what we feel has absolutely nothing to do with present circumstance. Just because we feel hurt, and then angry at another, doesn't necessarily mean that the person set out intentionally to hurt us.

You are one step ahead of the game by realizing already that your emotions govern the way you react to a situation, and that emotions can cause all of us to overeact at times. Just allow yourself some quiet time to sort through the situation objectively, and be easy on yourself if you overreact. It happens to all of us. The best thing to do is admit that you overeacted because of something else, make apologies if needed, and resolve to do better the next time.