“I need ten minutes, then let’s finish this” is not walking away. It’s hitting pause instead of rage-quitting.

Leaving with a return time is a different act from leaving. What makes a walkout frightening is the open ending, since the other person cannot tell whether you are coming back or whether the conversation simply ended. Naming the interval removes that, and it gives your body the time it needs to stop running hot. The pause is in service of finishing, not escaping.

Say the number and the intention out loud: ten minutes, then we finish this. Then actually come back, on time, even if you are not fully calm. Doing it once makes the next hard conversation safer for both of you.