24 Hour Rule

   I wanted to scream. I wanted to inform him how stupid, how idiotic, how irrational he was being. I wanted to tell him how it should be done and how much chaos and pain he had caused. I wanted to fix the situation, but I didn't scream, inform, tell, or fix....I applied the 24 hour rule.
   A few years ago, I started waiting 24 hours in emotionally charged situations before I responded. It has saved me from sending off fiery emails, picking up the phone, or rushing into an office. Sometimes I still write the emails, but I never send them....I wait 24 hours. Usually, those emails, phone calls, or office visits never occur. Once the emotions calm down, I find a better, calmer way to handle the situation.
   Teaching the 24 hour rule to students is important. Learning to control emotions so rational thoughts can dictate actions is a tough thing for adults to do. If a student can learn to wait 24 hours, it will serve him/her well throughout life. Getting the students to blog or to vent to someone safe is a much healthier alternative than burning bridges by screaming, informing, telling, or fixing.