Armchair Psychiatrist needed: managing mood swings & tilt factor?

[LargeCents]

Like everyone else, I take some bad beats from time to time and start to steam a little. I am pretty "in tune" with my emotions, so it is easy for me to stand up, put the mouse down, and walk away until I feel stable again. This may actually take several days in some cases... which is not a problem for me because I am not playing poker for a livelyhood or anything. It is just a fun hobby.

But, I still get an itch to play, even though I know I am still "geeked up" (emotionally volatile) about one thing or another that may not even be related to poker. I settle on a middle ground in which I play for very low stakes, or "play money" on one of my favorite online cardrooms. I don't worry about tilting it all away because, hey, it is play money. Anyway, last night I took the worst play money beating of my life, losing half of my bankroll, which was substantial. I don't care, it's play money. But, I worry about the bad habits I might be creating.

So, I was wondering how you guys handle the emotional ups and downs. Are you able to just step away? Or do you modify your play to minimize fluctuations and poor judgements? Maybe some other strategy, like pounding your fist into your head until you get a headache? (I've tried this one, it didn't help me.)

Thanks,
--Cents