Freedom from Being Emotionally Hijacked by Difficult Situations
- Allison Livingston
- Oct 9
- 2 min read
I have exciting news! I was invited to be a guest on Claire Laughlin's This Leader Podcast...
So the next time you walk, drive, clean or have 20 minutes take time for yourself and listen to these compelling insights.
Have you ever been in an emotionally complex moment with your kid and blown up, yelled or given them the awful disapproval face your Mom used to give you, then wished you knew what to do instead?
I have so I know just what this feels like. Make time to listen and learn skills today!
Listen here! Freedom from Being Emotionally Hijacked by Difficult Situations with Allison Livingston
Highlights from this episode:
In this powerful conversation with parent coach Allison Livingston, we explore how high achievers get emotionally hijacked in difficult situations and learn a five-step framework to stay connected without getting hooked.
Why High Achievers Get Emotionally Hijacked
High-achieving people often struggle with emotional regulation because they expect to be good at everything, including relationships. They have high expectations of themselves and others, but lack practice giving grace when things don't go as planned. This can leads to emotional enmeshment, where they try to control outcomes rather than connect authentically.
The 5 Steps to Connect Framework
Step 1: Meet Yourself Where You Are: Recognize when you're triggered by tuning into physical sensations—hot, clenched fists, tight jaw. Most people live in their heads and miss these body signals that indicate emotional hijacking.
Step 2: Validate Your Experience: Acknowledge that it's okay to feel frustrated. Identify your unmet needs—partnership, ease, contribution. Include emotional release through movement, but direct it into the sky or ground, not at another person.
Step 3: Get Curious About Stories: Question your narrative of "it's your fault" and explore what might be happening for the other person. Assume positive intent and remember you're on the same team.
Step 4: Lifesaving Listening: Create safe space for others to express their frustrations without taking it personally. This builds psychological safety and allows real conversations about underlying issues.
Step 5: Set Clear Boundaries: From a grounded place, communicate what you will do if certain behaviors continue. Focus on your actions, not controlling others.
Have you been getting emotionally hijacked more than you'd like? You aren't alone. Parents are more stressed than ever. So are kids. This isn't anything most of us were taught so it is normal we struggle and could use support.
Many of us have been coached to learn skills for tennis, soccer, running, softball, yoga...so why is it hard for us to get a parent coach? Too many get stuck thinking we should know how to talk to our kids about complex emotions. Here's the truth, it's OK that you don't. It's normal. I didn't either. I was struggling, but I was smart and got the support I needed. You can too.
Schedule your FREE coaching call with parent coach Allison Livingston to learn skills today that create more ease and harmony in your family. What do you have to lose?
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