When things aren’t always the best and a strong emotion surfaces, the biggest issue can be forgetting to breathe. You can act, then act some more and spiral. It’s natural because chemicals are swirling and we are after all a suit containing a lava lamp of chemicals.

The breath pauses. It gives a space to collect. To consider. You might need to end that conversation, to remove yourself to do that. I give myself and you permission to leave any conversation. I was given that gift a while ago and it’s the gift I continue to gain from. It’s hard to say sometimes but you value it every time. You can choose to not engage and do so when you want to on your terms.

After your breath, it could be a short one or a long series. Then gather and action. By moving to a state of action it shifts from circling in worry. You have begun processing and moving through. Some need more space to process before – personally, I need to move to action fairly rapidly as that’s just how I process. There’s again psychology in this because you move to a new mental state, new chemicals. This might be a decision framework or it might be an action of processing the impact.

The critical bit was giving space for that breath. That moment. Breathe then action.