You don’t have to apologize for being quiet. Some people think out loud. Some think first.

Thinking before speaking is a different method, not a shortfall, although loud rooms reward speed and make the slower method look like absence. Some people find the answer by talking it through, others need it finished before it leaves their mouth, and the second group gets asked what is wrong rather a lot. Nothing is wrong, and apologising for it teaches you to distrust how you work.

Stop explaining the quiet this week and let it stand on its own. If you need a moment, say that you are thinking. Say your piece when it is ready, which is often exactly when the room listens.