There have been a number of massive meltdowns in social media lately. It can be easy to lose your cool when someone insults your business and livelihood. However, this can be dangerous when you can respond in real time. Even more so when you can respond in a forum where the whole world is watching.

Here are 5 tips for avoiding a social media meltdown:

1. Step Away from the Computer Don’t respond while you’re angry. Take a step away from the computer and allow yourself time to calm down. Take a walk, prepare dinner, do whatever you need to do to cool down and keep your wits about you.
2. Turn off Alerts It doesn’t help to step away from the computer if your smart phone is constantly reminding you that there are things going on on the internet. Turn off those alerts. Or just leave your phone in another room for awhile. You need time to detach.
3. Take a Deep Breath Before you make any sort of response, take a deep breath. In fact, take two. It’s not the easiest thing to face negative comments. However, it’s important for yourself and your business to make sure that you read the criticism and respond appropriately.
4. Evaluate the Comment It’s hard to consider but you need to determine if any part of the negative comment is true. Were you really behind on that project? Did you communicate as much as you could have? This can help you both address the comment and address any holes you may have in your business model.
5. Take it Offline The best thing you can do if a commenter or two have left negative feedback is to move the conversation offline. Encourage the commenter to send you an email. Leave a post letting them know you value their opinion and that you’d love to continue the conversation via email so you can help ease their mind. Hopefully, this will help you turn a negative comment into a positive experience.

If you have multiple people leaving negative feedback, we’d also encourage you not to curse at them or insinuate they are stupid or lazy. In many of the larger social media meltdowns lately, the companies in question have tried to post status updates that have further angered their audience.

Whatever else you do, staying calm can only benefit your response to negative feedback.