control your emotions

Meaning

This expression means to manage, restrain, or regulate your feelings so that they do not dictate your behavior or reactions. It is often used in stressful, professional, or highly charged personal situations where maintaining composure is important. The tone can be advisory, self-reflective, or sometimes slightly critical if someone is overreacting.

Examples

• During a job interview, it is crucial to control your emotions and stay professional.

  During a job interview, it is crucial to control your emotions and stay professional.

• He had to take a deep breath to control his emotions before answering the angry customer.

  He had to take a deep breath to control his emotions before answering the angry customer.

• It is hard to control your emotions when you hear such devastating news.

  It is hard to control your emotions when you hear such devastating news.

• She learned to control her emotions through daily meditation and breathing exercises.

  She learned to control her emotions through daily meditation and breathing exercises.

• In a crisis, a good leader must control their emotions to keep the team calm.

  In a crisis, a good leader must control their emotions to keep the team calm.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ You need to control your feelings down.

  ✓ You need to control your emotions.

  Unlike 'calm down', the verb 'control' does not require a phrasal particle like 'down'.

• ✗ It is difficult to dominate your emotions under pressure.

  ✓ It is difficult to control your emotions under pressure.

  'Dominate' implies exercising harsh, physical power or oppression, whereas 'control' is the standard verb for emotional self-regulation.

Related Expressions

Practice

• When the customer started shouting, the cashier did her best to ___.

  💡 Manage her feelings and stay calm.

  Show answer

  control her emotions

• It's natural to feel angry, but you must learn to ___ in public.

  💡 Keep your feelings under control.

  Show answer

  control your emotions