I'm a communication therapist. This trick has saved me from hundreds of arguments and weird conversations.

"In clinical speech therapy, we use strategic pauses throughout a session with a client. This is similar to resting between physical therapy exercises. When we are teaching people how to use their speech sounds or helping them increase their vocabulary, it's helpful to let the mind rest in between sets."

"I often work with family members of patients who struggle to find words due to diagnoses like aphasia or childhood language disorders. I coach families to pause during a conversation, giving their loved one a little extra time to find their words. These pauses can be "unfilled" (silent) or "filled" with something like the word "um" or a physical action."

A speech-language pathologist shares how strategic pausing, a clinical technique used in therapy, can transform personal conversations and prevent conflicts. In professional settings, pauses give clients time to process language and find words, particularly for those with aphasia or language disorders. These pauses can be silent or filled with sounds like "um" or physical actions. The same principle applies to everyday conversations where intentional pauses create space for reflection, reduce reactive responses, and allow emotions to settle. By incorporating this simple technique into personal interactions, people can navigate disagreements more effectively and improve overall communication quality across all relationships.

Read at Business Insider