When alerted by weather forecasts that rivers are entering a flood stage, communities take action to prevent water overflowing the river banks. Community volunteers put sandbags on the river banks, alternative driving routes are suggested and residents are evacuate from homes lying in the flood plains. If the flood warnings are ignored, water overflows the river banks and create havoc, leaving communities and families devastated.

Have you ever had a similar experience with emotions? Have you ever felt so upset that overwhelming confusion reigns and you begin talking gibberish or can't speak at all?

This is called emotional flooding. Adrenaline careening through your body causes your heart rate to rise and behavior can escalate to unhealthy and unproductive extremes. The prefrontal cortex of the brain shuts down, so there is no logical mediating process in the brain to protect from destructive impulsive behavior. When this happens people can say or do regrettable things or they shut down to avoid these unpleasant feelings. Some physical signs of flooding are: throbbing head, shallow breathing, flushed face, pounding heart, dry mouth, a sinking feeling in the gut.

How do you protect yourself from emotional flooding? Try prevention first by recognizing potential triggers to upsetting emotional over-reactions. In other words, what gets in your craw and makes you want to blow your stack? Once you have awareness of these triggers you can strategically plan how to protect yourself and how to respond appropriately. For those times that you get 'hooked' and over-react, take a break and do a physical activity for example, go for a walk or lift something heavy, distract from the issue, breath deeply from the belly in and out through the nose, relax your muscles, talk your feelings through with a trusted friend, mentor, therapist or life coach.

There are many way to prevent over-reacting. The best antidote is to know yourself really well, to understand what you need, want and desire and to live a life of integrity.

Chris has a blog and a Web site.