You can walk into a heated room without turning up your own temperature.

Other people’s intensity is contagious only if you agree to catch it. A room can be loud, tense, and urgent while your own pulse stays where it was, and that is something you can choose rather than a trait you were born with. Matching the energy around you feels like solidarity and is usually just absorption.

When you walk into something already heated this week, slow your first sentence down on purpose. Speak a little quieter than the room. You will notice the temperature come toward you rather than the other way around, which is a much better trade.