When Conversations Get Spicy: Communication Skills for the Holidays

Since the holidays are coming (and politics somehow always sneaks onto the table...I'm looking at you, Uncle Jim), now is the perfect moment to learn how to bring safety back when things get tense.

In this episode, we dive into the thing that makes or breaks every conversation you care about: safety. This is the foundation of healthy communication, conflict resolution, and staying grounded when conversations get a little… "spicy".

We'll explore:

• How to notice early signs that safety is at risk
• How the nervous system reacts when conversations feel unsafe
• The behaviors that show up in others when safety drops
• Simple communication skills that help restore safety
• How each Enneagram type reacts when safety disappears

If you want easier conversations, fewer emotional landmines, and more grounded communication during the holidays and beyond, this episode will give you practical tools you can use right away.

My Communicate with Confidence Through the Lens of the Enneagram group coaching program opens again in spring 2026, and this episode gives you a preview of one of the key tools we use inside the program. Learn more about this program here:
https://www.swansoncoaching.com/bettercommunication

The Yoga Nidra Meditation podcast episode can be found here.

Find the Crucial Conversations book here:
https://amzn.to/4oLvDwz 

Stay in touch!  Sign up for my newsletter here and receive my 9 Ways to Communicate Better guide:
https://www.swansoncoaching.com/communication

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communication skills, conflict resolution, emotional safety, difficult conversations, nervous system, healthy communication, holiday stress, family conflict, Crucial Conversations, staying grounded, Enneagram, managing tension, talking politics, communication tools, restoring safety, safer conversations, self-awareness, conflict reduction, communication coaching, relationship skills

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