WHEN TO USE Use when you feel yourself getting activated in real time, jaw tight, voice sharpening. WHAT TO DO Pick one non-negotiable: “I will not make this worse.” Buy ten seconds: slow exhale, drop shoulders, open hands. Name what you’re feeling internally, even a single word reduces amygdala activation. Then meta-communicate briefly: “I’m getting…
Don’t Feed the Fire Read More »
WHEN TO USE Use when you have feedback to give, positive or corrective. WHAT TO DO Praise specifically and visibly; correction belongs in private. Before correcting, check three conditions: Is this person in a state to receive this? Have I chosen a private setting? Am I entering as a partner in their growth, or as…
Credit in Public, Correct in Private Read More »
WHEN TO USE Use when you’re flooded, reactive, or heading into a high-stakes moment. WHAT TO DO Take a 10-20 minute walk at a conversational pace, phone-free. Eyes up, exhale longer than you inhale. Mid-walk, name what you’re feeling in one sentence: “I feel because “. Before you return, choose one concrete next…
Management Begins in Your Feet Read More »
WHEN TO USE Use when you’re about to react to something that feels pointed or threatening. WHAT TO DO Before you decide what the feedback, silence, or message means, take three slow breaths (in through your nose, out through your mouth). Work back through the story: who was there, what happened, what stress did you…
Breathe Before the Story Read More »
WHEN TO USE Use when you feel scattered, shallow, or unable to think deeply. WHAT TO DO Remove your phone from the room — not silenced, gone. Choose one slow-cognition activity: read 10-20 pages of a print book, write by hand, or do single-task deep work offline for 45 minutes. Afterward, ask: when did my…
Borrow Your Brain Back Read More »
