how to be cool headed

i suppose it depends on what is meant by "tough situations." is this when you lose your temper? is this when you have much stress in your life? for me, if i'm angry or upset: i count to 10 several times. i may even leave the room, or get off of the phone. if i'm stressed i may take 10 deep breaths and try to find some inner peace until i can deal with the stress. i think a great deal depends on what is causing the "tough situations", too. your boss? your boyfriend/girlfriend? your husband/wife? your child? the person in the car next to you?

It's important to be cool headed and the way I go about it is to properly comprehend the situation before I react. Sometimes counting in your mind helps. The idea is to distract the mind when you are faced with tough situations.