Coping skill · 20 min
Take a real time-out
You're about to say the thing you can't take back.
Do this
- Say: "I need 20 minutes. I'm coming back."
- Leave the room. Walk, don't drive.
- Don't rehearse the argument. Count steps or breaths instead.
- Come back when you said you would, even if only to ask for more time.
Why it works
Strong feelings and urges rise, peak and fall, usually within minutes. A skill gives your body something to do while the wave passes, and each time you ride one out, the next one gets a little easier.