Ask “is now a good time?” before a heavy talk. The right words at the wrong time still miss.

People need spare capacity to hear something hard, and capacity depends entirely on what else is happening to them. The identical sentence lands differently five minutes before an exam than it does on a Sunday walk. Asking first is not stalling, it makes sure the other person is present for the conversation you spent all day preparing. It also hands them a little control over something about to be uncomfortable.

Before the next serious one, send a short line naming the topic and asking when works. Offer a choice of two times. If they say not now, take the answer and come back when they said.