The iconic image of a glowering Amitabh Bachchan might have enticed movie-going audiences to flock to cinema halls in the '80s, but chances are it might not work as well for you.

How to avoid the haraam zaade! moment

The iconic image of a glowering Amitabh Bachchan might have enticed movie-going audiences to flock to cinema halls in the '80s, but chances are it might not work as well for you.

So, the next time you feel like blowing your top, make sure you don't blow your chances of a promotion as well.

Anger is a natural and often, a healthy, human emotion that serves a functional value for survival. In fact, suppressing your anger can lead to depression, stress, headaches, sleep disorders, digestive problems, and even high-blood pressure.

So, it's not as much about not getting angry as it is about "how" you get angry and deciding whether or not you should.

Use these coping strategies the next time you feel like losing your temper and risk losing more than that.

Keep your temper in check in 5 easy steps

1 Take a time out Ever wondered why they say life is a game? It's because everyone needs the occasional time out. The next time you feel your body prep for the Flight or Fight response, see if you can step outside and take a quick walk. More time on your hands? Listen to some soothing music. Catch a sitcom. Sing in the shower. Remember, sometimes it pays to delay your reaction time.

2 Deep Breathe Can't take a time out? Remember, anger has everything to do with perspective: yours. So, if a problem seems too big to handle, chances are, it isn't. To save yourself the hassle of building a mountain out of a molehill, take a few, deep breathes and think of vacationing in Goa or sitting in a field of dandelions (provided of course you aren't allergic to dandelion fuzz), or go to wherever it is your "happy" place is.

3 Phone a Friend Everyone has a friend who makes Zen seem more than a philosophy, but a way of life. Feel ready to throw a melamine plate at a colleague's head? Call up your Zen friend and request them to talk you out of your crazed state. In fact, it might even be a good idea to catch up on that coffee you've always been promising to meet up for.

4 Don't take it personally It's not personal, it's business. That's the quote several higher-ups feed to subordinates, especially when it is personal. Still, that's no reason for you not to get the quote to work for you. Point is, when someone treats you unfairly, cuts you off at the signal or shortchanges you of a few bucks, it has little to do with you and everything to do with them. Learn to maintain a distance and like your friends keep telling you, "stop taking everything so personally".

5 Switch places Empathy is not just an emotion, it's a skill. It involves getting into another person's shoes, seeing things from their perspective and switching places with them. Okay, so your boss might really be a nasty sloth who wants nothing better than for you to suffer. But really, does he seem all that happy? Maybe the guy really could do with a hug. Or some empathy. After all, isn't it really compassion that makes the world go around!