Receiving vs Broadcasting

The instant criticism lands, your brain flips from receiving mode to broadcasting mode — and the two cannot run at once. The fix is to stay a receiver one beat longer:

1. Catch the switch — notice the urge to defend rising in your chest
2. Stay receiving — let the urge pass without acting on it
3. Play it back — silently restate their point in your own words before you say anything

That playback proves you actually heard them, and it gives your rational brain time to catch up with your emotions.