As caregivers for loved ones with dementia, our emotions get pulled, pushed, scorched, and occasionally pounded on with a jackhammer. And then one day we’re too tired, too sad, and too hollowed out to put up a defense: our emotions get the best of us and we explode – either outwardly at the people around us, or inwardly as we collapse into a puddle of rage and despair. This exercise is for that moment when you’re not just on the edge but starting to fall over it. When the flames of extreme emotion have ignited, this drill is the “fire extinguisher” I use to get things under control before the whole house burns down.