You already found the solution. The trick is Meta-Communication. You don't have to "dump" the emotion; you just narrate the fact that you're feeling it while it's happening.

Sharing what is arising in the moment. This builds intimacy.

I had a therapist tell me that "big emotions are your brain's way of asking for something". Like, you feel irritable because you're tired. How do you fix that? Not by yelling at everyone and inhaling an entire sleeve of Oreos. No, you take a nap.

I think a sign of high emotional intelligence is having the ability to prevent yourself from becoming overwhelmed with emotions like anger or sadness, and instead being able to step back and identify where that feeling is coming from.

{{ image(title="Bodily Maps of Emotions", file="bodily-maps-of-emotions.avif"), style="background-color:lightpink;" }}