When you're feeling worked up, its always better to take a pause in order to figure out what your body needs before you say or do something you'll regret. (You're never too old for a nap or a snack.) To do this efficiently, therapists often recommend the HALT method as an excellent way to tame emotions and create calmness by addressing basic human and bodily needs to prevent taking out your frustrations on someone else.

HALT stands for:

The HALT method is based around the premise that youre more likely to make poor, highly emotional decisions when hungry, angry, lonely or tired. The purpose is to help us identify these experiences when we are tempted to engage in a negative behavior and to instead address the underlying issue, says Kassondra Glenn, LMSW, a social worker and addiction specialist for Diamond Rehab.

HALT comes from the recovery community, however it can be applied to many scenarios beyond addiction, as it is, at its core, a mindfulness technique that promotes greater emotion regulation by building awareness around the root of urges, says Glenn.

The HALT method addresses how states of being and human needs might be linked to making hasty decisionswith words, actions, and thoughts. People are less likely to think clearly and practically when in distress.

The purpose of the HALT tool is to help us feel better when we are not feeling great emotionally, and its often used when we're feeling upset or emotionally off-centered, says physician and integrative medicine expert Catherine Uram, MD.

Use it by asking yourself what seems off about your body and mindset, so if you notice you are not feeling like your usual self, you can go through the HALT acronym, questioning whether youre hungry, angry, tired or feeling more isolated and alone, than usual.

Asking these questions brings more self-awareness, so you see what causes you to feel unlike yourself and then also to have more emotional regulation and to stay in a more centered and peaceful state," says Dr. Uram.

And with more control over your emotions, youre better able to prevent dramatics and hostility towards others while fostering a better sense of perspective and rationality.

When hungry, you tend to make hasty, emotional decisions, rather than use logic, as your body cries out for food and your stomach grumbles. This is because our blood glucose (blood sugar) can be lower than usual, affecting our physiology, how we think, feel and therefore make decisions, says Dr. Uram.

The connection between hunger and lack of control over emotions is that when we don't have enough energy, and need to replete with food, we do not have enough energy to physiologically regulate emotions and how theyre handled. This results in uncomfortable feelings that we sometimes do not want to investigate, which we label a bad mood, when were actually getting upset because of hunger and that our body and mind do not have enough physical energy to function optimally, says Dr. Uram.

It is well-researched that human behavior changes when we are hungry, where hunger causes us to value the short term over the long term and leads to hastiness with decisions, and chemicals released in our brain also change when we are hungry, to chemicals which then heighten anger, in response, says Glenn.

The best action plan is to identify hunger signals (rumbling stomachs, headaches, irritability, etc.) and find food as soon as possible. Oftentimes we must eat before taking any further action to alleviate discomfort, because sufficient calories and glucose are physically foundational for any mood improvements to occur, says Glenn.

If hunger is the cause, it's best to eat something light and nutritious, like vegetables, fruits, nuts, or seeds, which gradually brings physiology back to baseline, rather than bombarding yourself with large meal and overeating or with a meal thats high in sugar, unhealthy calories and fats, which may backfire and leave you feeling sick or moodier.

An example of satiating this urge first would be if you discovered the cause of feeling not well emotionally was hunger, you could take a momentary break from whatever you are doing, eat a handful of nuts or dried fruits, rest and enjoy them as much as you can, while your body and brain come back to baseline, called homeostasis, says Glenn.

Then eat a meal, or add on to your snack, with slow speed and mindfulness to help you think more clearly and to feel calmer. As your body and brain are coming back into homeostasis, you will think more clearly and feel calmer, avoiding hasty remarks and snappiness and alleviating uncomfortable moods, says Glenn.

We often act out when angry because anger conjures up a lot of physical and emotional reserves, which make it difficult to settle mentally, emotionally, and physically, and so instead our bodies respond with a fight-or-flight response, says Dr. Uram.

Anger is a normal human emotion, but unless managed, it can lead to poor decision making in the moment. Anger promotes impatience and stimulates chemicals in the brain (like adrenaline) and when we act out in anger, the amygdala, which is the part of the brain responsible for processing strong emotion and threat stimuli, also becomes involved, says Glenn. The connection between the two can be tricky to navigate, and the amygdalas involvement can be too strong at times and take over.

Use the HALT method by recognizing that youre angry, and then choosing to use mindfulness to rest, with exercises that bring self-awareness, acknowledgement and a sense of calm. Glenn recommends deep breathing, sending energy into the feet, or touching fingertips together one-by-one as three simple techniques with potential to regulate anger quickly and with ease by bringing more attention to the present moment and anger.

Another way to use the HALT method is to target anger as the cause and then workout, which will release anger and stress. Running, walking, or some other form of vigorous exercise can be helpful, because when we are angry, we have increased adrenaline and glucose (blood sugar), so intense exercise allows us to put it to good use physically, rather than keeping it all pent up inside, to then explode outwards, says Dr. Uram.

People are wired to seek belonging, so when youre feeling lonely, it may lead to depression and anxiety, as well as making decisions without connecting to yourself and your authenticity or power. Theres confusion on how to stay connected to yourself and to those around you. There are also multiple ways to feel lonelywe can feel as though we haven't found our group, and we can also feel as though we are disconnected from ourselves, says Glenn.

When depressed, HALT helps you handle emotions better and avoid taking them out on others. It gets you a little uncomfortable by urging you to use self-reflection to address the root of your loneliness and the ways in which you can improve your sense of community and attract love, says Dr. Uram.

Use the HALT method by reaching out to someone you feel you can be your authentic self with, and face-to-face, if possible, to reduce the loneliness youre feeling. Connection promotes nervous system co-regulation, which allows us to move from depressed/anxious back toward our baseline, says Glenn.

Practice self-connection, especially if the identified feelings of loneliness are centered on disconnection from the self, as it can be beneficial to engage in an activity that puts us back in touch, says Glenn. You might try yoga and meditation, exercising, reading a book, painting or doing any other hobby you love.

You can even just go for a walk alone, and not with company, outdoors for some fresh air and to feel at peace and centered. Connection with ourselves allows for increased emotional identification and processing, explains Glenn.

Without physical energy, its hard to maintain enough mental energy and focus, as well as clarity with thinking and judgment. Tiredness causes us to feel foggier and increases stress around making decisions, causing those decisions to be more rash, says Glenn.

Use the HALT method by targeting the root cause (tiredness), and then prioritize tasks, to check off items accordingly, but also by prioritizing sleep, as well. Once we've paused and identified tiredness, prioritizing the tasks we need to complete and decisions we need to make can decrease stress levels, says Glenn. We are letting ourselves off the hook and acknowledging that we don't need to do everything right now, Glenn continues. A break might signify sleep, a vacation, a walk outside, an episode of your favorite television show or even simply sitting in silence for a brief pause, just for yourself.

Tiredness is an indicator of rest, so pause current tasks, engage in something relaxing and enjoyable, or take a nap or go to bed, if you havent been sleeping well and need to catch up.

The HALT method is a beneficial tool for people with anger management issues or chronic stress, for couples who are struggling to connect intimately or communicate well, and for those recovering from addiction and require greater self-awareness and ability to pause before doing things hastily to reflect and center themselves first.

In general, HALT requires us to pause before choosing our next action and this pause creates space in which we can identify core emotions and choose a less harmful route, says Glenn. This is helpful for anger and stress management, with couples, and in addiction recovery, as theres possibility for intense emotions and negative urges, and thats where HALT and use of mindfulness helps us slow down, says Glenn.

It's important to remember that the HALT method is a tool for our toolbox, and it isn't a cure-all or a technique for every scenario. It can be useful to talk to a professional in the area(s) in which youre struggling to determine whether the HALT method can help with handling your emotions.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year support for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

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Heres How To Use the HALT Method To Figure Out Why Youre So Grumpy - Well+Good