Often it isn’t until people have been triggered and reacted that they realize that something is wrong. They may find themselves gravitating towards their addictions, being reactive in their feelings, thoughts or behaviour and generally out of control. If you find that this is what happens for you then keeping two simple acronyms in mind might help you to stay ‘on track’. They are HALT and KISS. HALT stands for ‘Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired’. It is a slogan used by the 12 Step programs. No matter how old we all get we all still need to keep track of our basic needs and look after the feelings that can derail us. Making sure you have good sleep, eating and connecting with other people routines are all really important for your emotional health. So is managing your anger. Finding ways to release your anger without allowing it to dominate your thoughts is a tricky business, and worthy of its own blog post, but mostly you want to be in charge of your anger and your fear and not let those feelings be in charge of you. KISS stands for ‘Keep it Simple Stupid’. It’s another great slogan from the 12 Step program. I always ask people what seems to work to keep them grounded and what doesn’t. It’s that simple. Whatever works....do more. Whatever doesn’t....try to stop and if you do it, then forgive yourself and try to switch to what works! And then just keep practicing.....and practicing......and practicing....