Emotional control · Feelings and energy
keeping it together
staying controlled
Remaining calm and able to function during a difficult situation.
This vs that
I’m keeping it together for my family.
I completely fell apart when I heard the news.
Hear it in real life
How are you coping after the news?
I’m keeping it together, but it’s not easy.
She’s keeping it together for the children, but I know she’s struggling.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
The native chunk conveys both emotional pressure and self-control in a natural way.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: I am keeping ‸ together during the crisis.
Say: I am keeping it together during the crisis.
The fixed expression needs the pronoun 'it'.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
keep it together when ___
I try to keep it together when the children are upset.
He kept it together when he had to give the difficult news.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about emotional control.
Let's not get carried away
Let's not get carried away; it's only the first round.
Keep a lid on it
Try to keep a lid on it during the meeting.
Emotional control words
Feelings and energy · Emotional control: the words around “keeping it together”.
More connectionsMore emotional control words8
More emotional control words
Your turn: say it out loud
I’m barely keeping it together.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
keeping it together
staying controlled
“She’s keeping it together for the children, but I know she’s struggling.”
heytardy