It applies for both face-to-face conversations as well as emails. A simple 10-second pause can clear your mind and help keep the conversation productive rather than inflammatory.
you have to be able to recognize when the temperature is high and that your emotional response isn't going to help the conversation. That's why emotional intelligence is so important. In fact, emotional intelligence is simply the ability to understand your own emotional response to something and, therefore, decide how you're going to respond.