No one likes having a curveball thrown at them. They’re not fun and not fair. If you feel like your curveballs send you into a 2-year-old temper tantrum and you’d like to move through life’s up and downs more gracefully, below are a few suggestions.

Name it. Let out your frustration so it doesn’t get buried and you don’t end up exploding at an inopportune moment. Saying how you feel out loud and even expressing it in a physical way, can help you feel calmer. Jump up and down, go for a run or swim, cry or scream into a pillow. Find a healthy way to vent and release the stress you feel.

Breathe through it. We often go into a fight-or-flight response when challenging situations arise. Taking a moment to breathe deeply to lower your blood pressure and adrenaline level, can help you respond with clarity and integrity.

Be realistic. Is this situation as dire as you think? Will your life or someone else’s life be adversely affected by the outcome? Keeping your eye on the bigger picture can help you come to a more realistic conclusion about what’s going on.

Accept change. New circumstances can be uncomfortable, especially when we are not expecting them. Acknowledge that change is part of life and be open to learning from the experience. Tremendous personal growth and insights can come from hardship. Accepting and allowing things to unfold can lead us to a different and, perhaps better, outcome if we give it a chance.

Opt for humor. Looking at a difficult situation with humor can help divert your mind and diffuse the moment. Watch a comedy, grab dinner with your girlfriends, or go dancing. Being lighthearted allows you and those around you to relax and gain perspective.

Life is imperfect and full of curveballs. Dealing with situations with an open, realistic and humorous mind can often help us get through difficult experiences. Sometimes we are ready to move on a lot sooner than we think.