When I feel frustrated, in doubt, or angry, stepping away from a situation gives me the opportunity to calm my emotions. The separation allows me to reduce the noise in my head. I think more clearly. I make better decisions. I can try to reduce tension between another person and me by saying things like this:

“May I get back to you?”
“If I were in your shoes, I might feel the same way.”
“I understand.”

But first, I must pause.

Photo by Isham Fernandez on Unsplash