Find somewhere quiet where you will not be disturbed. Leave your tech out of sight, sound and reach. Make yourself comfortable.
Reflect on what you tend to find most threatening or challenging when you are dealing with other people. Threats to your status, or what you think is your position in the group? Perhaps you have a firm view of the world and anything that challenges that sense of uncertainty is troubling? Maybe you need a sense of agency, that you are free to make your own decisions, and act on them. Or are good relations with those around you – a sense of relatedness – more important for you? Or perhaps you need things to be fair … whatever that means for you?
Are there specific things that tend to push your buttons? Bring to mind occasions when they have got in the way of a conversation you needed to have. What was is that made you feel unsafe? What was that sensation like for you? How did you respond? Why? Where did that response come from? How did that work out for you?
Write it all down, in your Journal if you keep one, but any old piece of paper will do. Many find that old fashioned pen and paper works best (it seems to activate different areas of the brain using a keyboard), but if that does not work for you and a note on your phone does, then do that.
Image: “War”. Pixabay. CCO
