How to Manage Emotions and Maintain Inner Peace

Imagine you miss an important meeting due to a traffic jam. What will you do right afterwards? I will look around and find something beautiful that calms my mind.
I will call, apologize, and start planning a new date.
I feel pressure and anger, but I don’t show anything on the outside.
I blame myself for not leaving sooner.
I will comfort myself with the thought that it was probably meant to be.

There is a tense atmosphere in the room, but no one says anything. What image comes to your mind first? A table full of food, yet no one eats.
Tight rope bridge over the chasm.
Glass that is just starting to crack.
Fog that obscures the view.
A tree that bends in the wind but does not break.

You receive an anonymous critical comment. How does your mind react? I will start analyzing who could have written this and why.
I'll tell myself it's just an opinion – and I move on.
It will hurt me, but I will try to learn from it.
I will doubt my own worth and will spin in it for a while.
I will start looking for ways to affirm my worth.

What place do you imagine as your "inner safe space"? Soft moss in the deep forest.
Quiet place with a sea view.
A library with the scent of old pages.
An empty room with clean walls.
Children's room full of memories.

What most often disturbs you without you being able to name it right away? When someone doesn't listen, even when I'm silent.
Last-minute change of plans.
The feeling that I am not useful.
When others hide their true emotions.
When I have to be quick to decide.

Which of these sounds would probably disturb you the most? Constant beeping of a malfunctioning device.
The sound of rain tapping on the metal roof.
Loud laughter from the neighboring room.
A long silence without noise.
A sudden slam of the door.

Which of these sentences would likely help you the most in a difficult moment? "I know it's not easy – I'm here whenever you want to talk."
"Every day has its meaning, even if you don't see it yet."
"Failure is just a dot before a new sentence."
"You are enough just as you are right now."
"Don't forget to breathe – it will pass."

When you feel tension building up inside you, what image unconsciously accompanies you? Waves crashing against the cliff.
Smoke rising from the candle.
The calm before the storm.
A spider weaving a web.
The door that is slowly closing.

What would concern you the most if you couldn't influence the situation? The feeling that someone is suffering and I can't help.
A misunderstanding that spreads further.
To be accused without the opportunity to defend oneself.
When something is not "closed."
When the direction I had firmly set changes.

Which of these comparisons would you choose for your way of handling emotions? A bubble that slowly rises up.
A well into which I throw stones.
A compass that seeks north.
A mask that protects me from the storm.
A tree that has added a new growth ring.