keep one's head

Idioms  

1. Stay calm, retain self-control, as in When the rowboat capsized, George yelled that everyone should keep their head and hold onto the boat . This usage dates from the early 1600s and is about two centuries older than the antonym, lose one's head , meaning “to become confused and agitated,” as in Whenever the stock market goes down sharply, people seem to lose their heads and sell .

2. keep one's head above water . See head above water .

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Example Sentences

It's unlikely he's wearing a lifejacket and trying to keep one's head above water even in a slight chop can be exhausting.

From Time Magazine Archive

It's a hard question to ask and keep one's head up in the sisterhood, much less answer.

From Time Magazine Archive

Nor was it a weapon, a style of cooking, or something to keep one’s head dry in foul weather.

From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood

These verily are the refinements and ecstasies of method—amid which, or certainly under the influence of any exhilarated demonstration of which, one must keep one's head and not lose one's way.

From The Ambassadors by James, Henry

It is a trifle; all one has to do is to keep a tight rein on oneself, and keep one's head clear.

From The Sea-Gull by Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich