if I find someone infuriating but need to drain away some emotional heat so that I can remain calm while dealing with them, I imagine them as a muppet I would like some other techniques for these kinds of situations, please share yours - ThreadSky

johannawinant.bsky.social • 85 days ago

if I find someone infuriating but need to drain away some emotional heat so that I can remain calm while dealing with them, I imagine them as a muppet

I would like some other techniques for these kinds of situations, please share yours

Comments

elizabethalsop.bsky.social•85 days ago

This is really good, I tend to imagine them as disembodied Charlie Brown teacher voice, and/or mentally wave toward the problem person, invoking my therapist’s suggestion that “there’s something happening over there…”

dartmanx.bsky.social•85 days ago

annaeclark.bsky.social•85 days ago

Oh man I hear you on this. Honestly I focus on what’s happening to my body and imagine a core of ice running through me. If I associate being powerful with being cold and calm somehow it helps?

rhythmdaddy.bsky.social•85 days ago

This truly seems like a great coping mechanism. I deal with a lot of people in a day. There are going to be some Muppets tomorrow!

drbeard79.bsky.social•84 days ago

I LOVE this! Though I’m also worried that I might be Michael Caine at the start of Muppet Christmas Carol now - enraged and surrounded by, well, muppets!

miriamposner.com•85 days ago

Sometimes I imagine them as a baby.

johannawinant.bsky.social•85 days ago

oooh maybe a very early toddler falling down a lot

miriamposner.com•85 days ago

Exactly.

johannawinant.bsky.social•85 days ago

yeah it's all about figuring out how to transform them into something silly and even absurd

miriamposner.com•85 days ago

I read somewhere that this is how SNCC trained people not to fight back. Imagine them as a baby.

johannawinant.bsky.social•85 days ago

oh that's interesting

johannawinant.bsky.social•85 days ago

great one in the quote skeets --
https://bsky.app/profile/professionallynosy.bsky.social/post/3lclpaok42k2b

carallewis.bsky.social•85 days ago

Going to borrow this. I need help with precisely this situation

johannawinant.bsky.social•85 days ago

details downthread!

but *I* need more techniques toooo

carallewis.bsky.social•85 days ago

I am so bad at this that I have nothing to offer [headdesk]

johannawinant.bsky.social•85 days ago

oh no how have you survived?!

carallewis.bsky.social•85 days ago

I am reasonably good at keeping mum. Lately have traded that in for just being visibly irritated in meetings

laurenarrington.bsky.social•85 days ago

I mentally build a box, put them in it, and nail the lid of that sucker down. 📦

noreenmasud.bsky.social•85 days ago

stealing this

johannawinant.bsky.social•85 days ago

it really helps but I'm worried about wearing it out

saphira40.bsky.social•84 days ago

I envision their words being printed out on a printer that feeds directly into a shredder.

It's....magic.

annefe.bsky.social•85 days ago

Weirdly, drink water while talking with them. It gives me a little pause, and we can all be more hydrated

cindypotts.bsky.social•85 days ago

I pretend I am some historical person, such as Margaret Mead or Churchill, and then go thru the interaction in character. This doesn't always help, but it is generally preferable than attending as myself.

johannawinant.bsky.social•85 days ago

this is great

calencauthon.bsky.social•85 days ago

Is baby.
All becomes okay again.

preraphsrule.bsky.social•84 days ago

Learned this from my kid: imagine a great big octopus sitting on their head, waving its tentacles around. Only you can see this - the person in question is completely oblivious. Sometimes the octopus winks.

jonathanhsy.bsky.social•85 days ago

lol amazing

johannawinant.bsky.social•85 days ago

the more specific the better: what's their yarn-hair like, how silly is their voice and what is the thing they say all the time, how do they flail-move their arms

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