If you know you’re going into a situation that could trigger or upset you, use the 4 P’s strategy to handle the situation better.

The first P is Purpose. What is the purpose of your encounter or situation. Focus on the parts that you can control. For instance, trust or rapport is two way street, so it could be just a message you want to clearly deliver or a main objective you want to accomplish by your presence alone.
The second P is Posture. How do you need to carry yourself to see that purpose through. For example it could be, I need to breath, not let anything or anyone upset me or trigger me, be grounded. Now feel that posture, so you can recall it later.
The 3rd P is be Present. If a thought from the past or future comes up, just wipe it away. Keep your thoughts and attention “in the now”. You can practice this by thinking of thoughts from the past or future and then contrasting that with being in the present.
The 4th P is Picture. It’s an image of the whole picture or scene that reminds you to do these 3 p’s. For example, it could be a tree holding a sign which reads you purpose. Hold that picture in your thoughts as you enter that situation. It should set you up for a strong, grounded mindset that keeps you on purpose and achieve your objective.