I recently read the book Four seconds by Peter Bregman. It's a book about changing your life with simple four second rule: whenever you encounter a situation where you might act impulsively, just take a deep breath before you do. This will already calm you down and give you a moment to think rationally.
Changing your whole life might be a bit too optimistic unless you are acting only impulsively. But it's still a good rule. It can ave you from many situations that end up badly.
I rarely act impulsively. I'm more loke the opposite. I think too much how to react. But here are some situations that I have recognized where I might act badly. I can for example be a sore loser. I don't take it lightly and might explode if I lose.
During the weekend I had good opportunities to test this rule out. We were over at a friend playing. I didn't win every game (not even close). So whenever I lost I took a deep breath, accepted my loss and thanked for the game. Simple as that. No explosions, everybody had fun.
Our mind can change really fast. If we just give it that time we can get out our second thoughts. The better ones not dictated by instincts and emotions. So take a deep breath before you react.