Oren Jay Sofer explains how we can stay grounded and maintain choice during overwhelming or emotionally charged conversations. He highlights the importance of presence—feeling our feet, noticing our breath, and expanding our awareness—to counter the fight-or-flight response and self-regulate. Oren also teaches a simple three-part structure for pausing a conversation without damaging the relationship: affirm the connection, state your limit, and offer a next step. By practicing and even memorizing a short version of this framework, we can exit challenging moments with clarity, care, and self-respect.