As women in the workplace, moments of overwhelming emotion or irrationality, like crying or screaming, make us look like unstable, foreign creatures to our male counterparts. Therefore, if we want to get our point across and make sure we are heard, we have to remain calm.

Throughout any given day, there are dozens of moments that either compel tears or drive us to march down the hall and, for example, confront the coworker who undermined us in front of our boss. But rather than lose our cool, we have to learn how to handle each situation with objectivity; otherwise we risk being labeled as “crazy.”

Unfortunately, when we react with our emotion first, men assume we are just “on our period” and are hormonal as a result; or, that we are simply incapable of controlling our emotions. So, if you have to cry, go outside. Seriously, if you have to cry or need  to scream expletives at the wall to calm down, go outside, go to your car, or just go to the bathroom. Once you’re able to gain your composure and you feel confident that you can express yourself without losing it, and address the situation. If you instead act and speak during a heighted state of emotion, you run the risk of looking like an unstable maniac. Until women run the world—and we are awfully close—we have to recognize that we are judged for extreme emotion—and it is holding us back. Don’t give your male coworkers any reason to doubt your abilities or discredit your success.