How to stay calm when someone's losing their sh*t..
I was telling this story to my relationship coaching clients the other day... I'd gone to visit my parents on Sunday to help set up a camera to watch their dogs. While sorting it out upstairs, I accidentally unplugged my dad's internet cable. Didn't think much of it at the time… But then I called the next day to check if they were okay... And my dad absolutely lost it. "Why did you unplug the internet? What the f*ck were you doing?" "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know I had..." "What were you DOING?!" He was getting more and more worked up. And this is where it gets interesting... Because as a relationship coach, I teach my clients how to handle these exact triggering moments. But now I was in one myself. So I demonstrated exactly what I teach: "Look, I get you're frustrated. I've said sorry three times now. Let me call you back when you're a little calmer, because right now, I'm not sure this is going to be the healthiest conversation for us." Now, every part of me wanted to snap back and say "You f*cking prick, shut up!" (We've all been there, right?) But here's what I've learned after coaching thousands of coaches and relationship clients... The moment you match someone's triggered energy, you've lost control of the situation. That's why I teach my clients specific pattern-breaking techniques: - Hand on heart - Four seconds in, four seconds out breathing - Naming the emotion - Understanding why you feel this way - Finding another perspective Simple? Yes. But when you're in that moment – whether it's with a client or family member – these tools become pure gold. Because they create space between trigger and response. And that's where you can guide someone from emotional reaction to conscious response. As coaches… We need these tools ourselves before we can effectively teach them to others. Look, I don't know if your relationships are perfect or if you're struggling with arguments and triggers like this... But if you'd like to experience this kind of transformation in your own life, here's the deal...