Keep your mouth closed and breathe in through your nose for a bit. If you don't think you can keep your mouth from saying something horrible, then walk away. With your husband and son, tell them about your strategy so that they don't follow you. Once you're calmer you can either just let it go, or address it in a respectful manner.

Then there's always the "golden rule" - would you like to be treated the way that you're treating others? If the answer is no, then don't do it.

It takes a lot of conscious effort ahead of time. You have to think about what sorts of things tend to set you off - and then really decide if they're worth it. Also, think about someone else's motivation. Is it being done with the intention of pissing you off, or are the things that tend to set you off just things that can't easily be helped? How do others treat you when you do things that would piss them off?

For me, a lot of patience comes down to empathy. I have a great deal of empathy for others, so I know that if I snap at them it's just not going to help either of us and will just make them hurt more - or will lead to an argument. Being respectful is at the top of my priority list, so it stops me from snapping at people even if I am feeling snappy.