We Asked The P.TV Office To Tell Us About Their Most Recent Sensitive Convo
I’ve been on a bit of a self-improvement kick lately. My most recent endeavour has been navigating the treacherous path of having a good ol’ sensitive convo.
I’m talking those conversations that need to happen, but they also kinda make you feel like pulling your teeth out.
Some have suggested doing it over a shared activity, while others say it’s best to do it quickly before you psych yourself out. My best friend suggested that perhaps practising on a non-judgmental third party (AKA your pet) could be a good shout.
Although I don’t have an empathetic pet at home, but rather a cat that viciously hates people (most notably, me), I was eager to hear about more real-life examples of how to tackle this.
I thought of just the place to start: the PEDESTRIAN.TV office. I asked my colleagues to tell me about recent sensitive convos they’ve had, and how they tackled the beast. How they ate the frog, if you will.
So, this morning, after feeding my ungrateful cat, I jetted off to work in search of my team to shed some light on sensitive convos they’ve had recently.* Behold.
Clara:
Recently, I had to have a really difficult conversation with my mother and set some proper boundaries. Being 25 and coming from an ethnic background where boundaries simply aren’t a thing is truly a recipe for disaster. I was dreading the convo because I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be received well, and lo and behold, it initially wasn’t. But I approached it delicately and sensitively, and after a little bit of understanding, empathy, and patience, it actually went pretty well. Consider my boundaries strongly in place!
Big slay from Clara over here. Putting up barriers is already really hard, but doing it with a parent is a whole different calibre. Growing up is all about having hard conversations, no matter who it’s with or what it’s about.
My two cents here is that sometimes, the scariest part is literally just the thought of it. Ripping off the band-aid and just going for it is the surest way to success (and much less anxiety, mind you).
Huge kudos to Clara for putting on her big girl pants and getting it done.
Anita:
Recently, my best friends called me out for not being present enough. I’d let a new job, new friends, and life in general distract me, and I wasn’t showing up the way they deserved. It was tough to hear. I apologised, of course, and worked through the anxiety and guilt that followed as best I could. After that sensitive conversation, I made a conscious effort to actively make plans, be available, and stay in touch. Though it was tricky to navigate, I’m grateful they were honest with me — and I’m now a better friend because of it.
Balancing your social circles when you’re in a girlboss stage of your career is hard, no matter what era of life you’re in. Sometimes, we need to hear some tough truths from our nearest and dearest. A reality check, if you will.
Anita’s mature response to her friend’s feedback is a great example of taking responsibility when faced with a sensitive convo. Having the empathy to understand that the conversation was hard for both parties is the foundation of a healthy relationship, after all.
George:
For a good while, I was really neglecting my dental health. Having finally gotten my braces off after four years, I just wanted to have a break from all the pedantic rituals. It was all fine until I noticed my tooth sensitivity in particular kept getting worse. After too many Google searches, I finally had to admit that I was in denial. So I had a long sit-down with myself and admitted it was high time to prioritise my dental hygiene again.
Sometimes, we get in our own way when making the best decisions for our health. If it’s preventing you from doing the things you love, there’s no doubt that taking shortcuts is simply not worth it (especially in George’s case).
Improving tooth sensitivity can be a tough one to crack. Sensodyne Repair & Protect toothpaste is proven to have 3x better* repair** for sensitive teeth. It does this by building a protective layer over the sensitive areas of your teeth in particular.
So if you too are struggling with some of the same issues as George, it could be worth giving it a crack.
Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
Tristan
A few months ago, I had to have a pretty awkward conversation with my group of friends because they excluded me from a catch-up, and I was feeling pretty hurt about it. It was tough to have a discussion four on one whilst trying to get my point across in a way that didn’t seem defensive. Let’s just say that the call didn’t really go according to plan, so it then meant I had to pull each friend aside over the next couple of weeks to solve it one-on-one. It was pretty tough to navigate, but we’re through the thick of it now (and hopefully it won’t happen again).
Tristan’s story was an important one for me to hear. Sometimes, our sensitive chats don’t always end the way we want them to. Instead, it reveals the need for many more subsequent sensitive chats that then need to be had.
Solving issues isn’t always linear. Even though it’s hard, it’s important to work through these sensitive convos to resolve whatever’s giving you grief.
So, where am I at now? Well, after hearing all my brave co-workers’ stories, I sat at home with my cat (a safe one-meter distance away), and reflected on all of the lessons I learnt from their experiences with sensitive chats.
Although there was no be-all end-all approach to these situations, I realised there was a consistent call for an open-minded attitude that garners empathy for yourself and others involved.
The result might not turn out to be exactly what you planned or hoped for, but hey, that’s life, I guess. What’s most important is that you did it, and that’s got to count for something.
And so, with all of the learnings I collected, I mustered up the courage to have a sensitive convo of my own.
Mr Whiskers, I think it’s time we have a chat.
This piece was brought to you in partnership with Sensodyne as a part of our Sensodyne Sensitive Chats series. Sensodyne is the #1 brand for sensitive teeth.***
*Names have been changed for privacy reasons.
**In lab testing vs stannous fluoride toothpaste.
***Data sourced from Circana MarketEdge based on data definitions provided by Haleon Australia Pty Ltd.
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