Stop Saying "Calm Down"—Do This Instead

Stop Saying "Calm Down"—Do This Instead

From Relationship Advice by Thrive Therapy - Colter Bloxom, Lauren Mokarry, and Cayla Bozovich

April 4, 2026 · 52 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the negative impact of telling someone to 'calm down' and offers alternative strategies for emotional support.

Telling someone to “calm down” usually does the opposite—it makes people feel dismissed, misunderstood, and even more activated. In this episode, the hosts explore why that phrase backfires in moments of anger, anxiety, disappointment, or excitement, and why it often comes from the other person feeling overwhelmed too. They unpack a better approach: co-regulation through validation, steady presence, gentler tone, and asking what support actually helps. Main Talking Points: • Validation first• Tone matters• Co-regulate together• Name the feeling• Ask what helps Give Me Discounts! ⁠⁠AG1 - ⁠⁠AG1 has become my go to every morning. ⁠⁠Beducate⁠⁠ - Use code relationship69 for 65% off the annual pass. Check out Relationship Academy! ⁠ ⁠Cozy Earth⁠⁠ - Black Friday has come early! Right now, you can stack my code “IDO” on top of their sitewide sale — giving you up to 40% off in savings. These deals won’t last, so start your holiday shopping today! ⁠⁠Simple Practice⁠⁠ - If you're in mental health and not using simple practice then what are you doing??? ⁠⁠Spark My Relationship Course:⁠⁠ Get $100 off our online course. Visit⁠⁠ SparkMyRelationship.com/Unlock⁠⁠ for our special offer just for…

People in this episode

Hosts: Colter Bloxom, Lauren Mokarry, Cayla Bozovich

Topics covered

  • emotional regulation
  • communication
  • co-regulation
  • validation
  • support strategies

Keywords

  • calm down
  • co-regulation
  • validation
  • emotional support
  • communication skills

Sponsors

AG1, Beducate, Cozy Earth, Simple Practice, Spark My Relationship Course, Skylight, Quince

Mentioned in this episode

Products: AG1, Beducate, Cozy Earth, Simple Practice, Spark My Relationship Course, Skylight, Quince

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