Posts tagged: personal space
The Generational Gap: Why Different Rules Seem to Apply
Older relatives and colleagues operate from assumptions about touch that were socialized differently. Understanding why doesn't make the contact okay, but it does affect what you can expect from a conversation.
The Greeting Kiss: How to Opt Out Without Reading as Hostile
Cheek kisses function as a default greeting in certain social circles. What to do when that default doesn't work for you.
How to Help Your Child Use Their Voice in the Moment
Knowing they can say no is different from being able to say it when an adult is standing in front of them expecting a different answer. The practical version.
The Holiday Gathering and the Relatives Who Don't Take No for an Answer
Every year, same relatives, same problem. How to prepare for it, handle it in the moment, and not spend the whole drive home regretting what you didn't say.
Networking Events and the Pressure to Be Physically Accessible
Handshakes, side-hugs, shoulder pats. How physical accessibility functions as a professional signal at networking events and what it costs people who don't want to perform it.
What Non-Verbal Signals About Personal Space Actually Look Like
The step back. The tension across the shoulders. The face that has gone still. What these signals communicate and how to tell who isn't seeing them from who is choosing not to.
The Open Office and What It Did to Personal Space
Open floor plans removed the structural protections that doors and walls used to provide. Here's what that costs and what you can actually do about it.
What the Relationship Looks Like After the Conversation
Whether it went well or badly, the relationship continues. What the period after actually looks like, what shifts, and what's worth holding onto regardless of the outcome.
The Relative Who Always Touches Your Face or Hair
This specific kind of unwanted contact reads as affection to the person doing it. It doesn't always land that way. What to say to someone who genuinely means well.
The School Playground and Who Owns the Rules About Touch
Children touch each other constantly at school. Who's responsible for what gets named and corrected, and what parents can do when the school's approach doesn't match theirs.