Try a practice in accepting difficult feelings like anger or irritation to help keep your cool, feel better overall, and find calm with contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman.

How To Do This Practice:

Settle with your breath: Take a few slow, deep breaths, lengthening your spine as you inhale and relaxing your face and body as you exhale.
Notice your body: Scan your body with curiosity and observe any sensations without trying to change them.
Recall a mild frustration: Bring to mind a recent situation that made you feel slightly irritated or frustrated.
Release the story: Let go of the memory and focus only on where you feel the emotion in your body.
Give the emotion space: Allow the sensations to exist without judging or resisting them, noticing how they naturally shift over time.
Close with kindness: Take one final breath and remind yourself to meet future moments of anger with curiosity, acceptance, and compassion.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

EVE EKMAN is a contemplative social scientist and meditation teacher from San Francisco, California.

Learn more about Eve’s work: https://tinyurl.com/2vhuarh8

More Happiness Breaks like this one:

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/ye24rz4k

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x

A Breathing Technique To Help You Relax: https://tinyurl.com/59y4sf5y

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/mrxsad33

How To Feel Better About Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/3jave7h2

What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/yxf3jawn

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2zh8uewh