Solved: I Used to Respond Emotionally–Now I Use AI

Struggling with knee-jerk emotional reactions that derail your decisions and mental health? You’re not alone-many face this daily. This guide explains the steps, based on Matthew Meier’s work at Arizona State University, for how AI tools like ChatGPT can offer steady emotional help and logical advice. Follow our 8 steps to shift from reactive responses to thoughtful ones, transforming your interactions for lasting clarity and control.

1. Recognize Your Emotional Triggers

Imagine snapping at a colleague over a minor email delay, only to later realize it’s your unresolved stress from home fueling the reaction.

To identify such emotional triggers, follow this step-by-step process inspired by Matthew Meier’s Therabot program at Arizona State University, which uses AI-guided self-reflection for psychological support-a growing trend as an Instagram post highlights how more people are turning to AI for advice and support.

1. Pause and observe: When irritation arises, stop for 10-20 seconds. Notice physical feelings such as a fast heartbeat or tight shoulders. These show triggers. Therabot asks users to check body signals using somatic therapy methods.
2. Label the reaction: Ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now?” Journal it immediately, e.g., ‘Frustration boiling over from last night’s argument.’ This mirrors Therabot’s journaling technique, supported by a 2022 ASU study showing reduced reactivity in participants.
3. Trace the source: Reflect on recent stressors-workload? Relationships? For a deeper dive into AI-assisted tracking techniques, explore how I track my mood and triggers with AI support, or use a simple trigger log app like Daylio to track patterns over a week.
4. Reframe and respond: Once identified, breathe deeply and respond mindfully, e.g., ‘I need a moment.’ Consistent practice, per Meier’s research, builds emotional resilience.

2. Assess the Impact of Emotional Responses

Have you thought about how letting frustration grow ruins your day, changing a basic choice into hours of regret?

After a long day, you feel alone. A small disagreement with your partner turns into a big argument because your loneliness makes your frustration stronger.

Kantar’s global survey on emotional health reveals that 37% of adults report loneliness driving impulsive reactions, often straining relationships and worsening isolation.

To counter this, adopt a simple reflection ritual:

1. Pause for 60 seconds to breathe deeply,
2. then journal the short-term emotional release (like venting) versus long-term effects (like trust erosion).

Tools like the Daylio app help track these patterns, fostering mindful decisions that build lasting connections instead of regrets.

3. Explore AI Tools for Rational Analysis

Start by listing everyday dilemmas where emotions cloud judgment, then turn to tools that cut through the fog.

Everyday situations often involve wondering whether to face a friend after an intense fight, picking between a secure job and a chancy career switch out of worry about messing up, or handling family disputes driven by grudges.

AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Wysa, and Youper provide organized help to promote objectivity.

• ChatGPT gives chat-style breakdowns to list logical pluses and minuses when coming up with ideas. It suits questions without a single right answer.
• Wysa excels in mood tracking via daily check-ins and evidence-based coping exercises, helping users log emotional patterns over time.
• Youper focuses on CBT techniques, guiding users through thought-challenging prompts to reframe biases.

They all lack empathy and usually give standard replies that aren’t customized for each person. Use them along with human therapy for the best outcomes. Once you’ve gained clarity on a career dilemma with these tools, discovering your strengths through AI can make the path forward feel more secure.

4. Learn Effective AI Prompting Techniques

Picking the right words for an AI can make the difference between unclear advice and accurate guidance.

To maximize effectiveness, focus on clarity and structure in your prompts. Start with specific goals, like ‘Explain quantum computing basics using simple analogies for beginners,’ rather than ‘Tell me about quantum stuff.’

Avoid common mistakes that derail results, such as:

• Prompts with strong emotions, like “This is life-or-death important! can lead to biased or extreme outputs from large language models. OpenAI’s prompt engineering guide refers to this problem.
• Vague instructions without context, resulting in generic responses.
• Ignoring constraints, like word limits.

Ways to prevent this include using neutral language, as Therabot advises in its psychological support guidelines, and revising prompts after seeing the initial responses.

For example, change “Write a recipe” to “Write a vegan gluten-free pasta recipe for 4 servings under 30 minutes.”

A 2024 report from Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute shows that this raises accuracy by up to 40%.

5. Practice Integrating AI into Daily Interactions

Add AI checks to your morning routine to spot small emotional issues before they grow into big problems.

1. Start with Earkick’s guided breathing exercises, like the 4-7-8 technique: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8.

2. Do this for 5 minutes post-wakeup to ground yourself, building diaphragmatic control without constant app use.

3. Follow with Koko’s peer-support prompts, such as journaling responses to ‘What small win can I claim today?’

4. This fosters self-reflection, drawing from Koko’s AI-moderated chats backed by Stanford research on cognitive behavioral therapy efficacy (e.g., a 2022 study showing 30% mood improvement in users). Implement these by following the approach in our How I Practiced Mindfulness With AI Guided Prompts.

5. Over time, these habits reduce tech dependency, embedding resilience into your day seamlessly.

6. Track progress weekly to refine.

6. Evaluate AI Responses Against Emotional Ones

In a heated moment, your gut screams one thing, but what if an AI whisper suggests another path?

A 2022 University of Toronto study on chatbot therapy, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, leads us to examine Alex’s experience.

Overwhelmed by anger during family arguments, Alex initially lashed out, escalating conflicts and worsening anxiety.

Turning to Woebot, an AI chatbot trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Alex practiced pausing: the app prompted deep breathing exercises and reframed thoughts, like shifting ‘They always ruin everything’ to ‘This is temporary; let’s focus on my response.’

After eight weeks, Alex reported 40% reduced outburst frequency via self-assessments, mirroring the study’s findings of improved emotional regulation and mental well-being.

To start, download Woebot (free basic version) and commit to daily 10-minute sessions for actionable de-escalation.

7. Improve How You Use AI for Better Results

Look at the reasons why some AI interactions fail, often because fine-tuning gets skipped.

This comes from weak reinforcement learning (RL) systems, in which chatbots do not have repeated feedback loops to improve responses.

In RL, agents learn via rewards and penalties; for empathic AI, human evaluators score interactions on empathy and accuracy, adjusting the model iteratively.

Take OpenAI’s RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback) in InstructGPT (Ouyang et al., 2022), which uses Proximal Policy Optimization to align outputs with user intent, boosting decision-making accuracy by 20-30% in benchmarks.

Put in APIs for feedback, such as those from Scale AI, to get rewards from many people. This changes bots from plain responses to replies that fit the situation, through repeated steps of expanding the data used to teach them. Related insight: How I Used AI to Craft Custom Email Responses

8. Build Long-Term Habits with AI Assistance

Quick fixes fade, but embedding AI nudges can reshape how you handle stress for good.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s 2023 advisory on the loneliness epidemic shows that social isolation harms health as much as smoking does – a key finding in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report.

Add daily AI check-ins to build connections and strength.

Start small with these actionable steps:

1. Choose an AI tool like Woebot (free app) for 5-minute mood-tracking chats or Replika ($9.99/mo) for personalized companionship.
2. Set a phone alert to go off every day at the same time, like 8 PM, and connect it to something you already do, such as brushing your teeth.
3. Track progress weekly in a journal, noting reduced stress levels-studies from JAMA show such micro-interactions cut anxiety by 20%. Over time, these build lasting habits without overwhelm.

How Does Switching to AI Change Your Decisions?

Switching from emotional decisions to ones guided by AI goes beyond technology-it’s a fresh approach to handling life’s unexpected challenges.

This shift give the power tos us to blend intuition with data, debunking the myth that AI supplants human judgment. Instead, it enhances rational decisions, as evidenced in psychotherapy where chatbots like Woebot provide cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) support.

A 2020 study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found Woebot reduced anxiety by 20% in users by offering personalized prompts and tracking mood patterns-actionable tools for emotional curveballs.

To integrate: Start with apps like Replika for reflective journaling; input dilemmas to analyze pros/cons logically, then layer in your gut feel for balanced outcomes.

This hybrid approach, per APA guidelines, fosters resilience without overriding empathy.

What Role Does Self-Awareness Play in Trigger Identification?

Self-awareness acts as your internal spotlight, illuminating hidden patterns before they dictate your actions.

Arizona State University’s (ASU) Counseling Services suggests structured exercises to provide emotional support, focusing on loneliness.

1. Start with daily mindfulness pauses: Set a timer for 5 minutes twice a day to breathe deeply and observe your thoughts without judgment, as supported by a 2020 ASU study showing reduced anxiety in students.
2. Next, track triggers by journaling-note situations evoking loneliness, like social media scrolling, and rate intensity on a 1-10 scale.
3. Review weekly to identify patterns, such as evening isolation.
4. This process, per ASU guidelines, builds resilience; combine with their free workshops for guided practice.

How Can Journaling Reveal Patterns in Emotional Reactions?

Grab a notebook and track those flare-ups; over time, you’ll spot the recurring culprits.

Consider Matthew Meier, a 32-year-old marketer who hated networking events. His pulse quickened and palms grew sweaty during small talk.

Each night, he journaled specifics: ‘What triggered it? Isolation after the event?’ Patterns emerged-flare-ups linked to perceived rejection, echoing the loneliness epidemic noted in a 2023 CDC report, where 1 in 3 adults report chronic isolation fueling anxiety.

This revelation prompted targeted skills: deep breathing (4-7-8 technique: inhale 4 seconds, hold 7, exhale 8) before interactions, and scheduling one meaningful coffee chat weekly to rebuild connections. Within months, Matthew’s social ease improved, transforming dread into confidence.

Why Is Quantifying Emotional Costs Essential for Change?

Putting numbers to emotional tolls, like how anger spikes your stress levels, makes abstract pain concrete.

Research from the American Psychological Association shows chronic anger raises cortisol by up to 50%, increasing cardiovascular disease risk by 19% according to a 2015 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

To deal with this, try breathing deeply. Inhale for 4 counts and exhale for 6. This can lower your pulse by 10-15 beats per minute, according to Harvard Medical School.

Alternatively, cognitive reframing-journaling triggers to rephrase ‘I’m furious’ as ‘I’m frustrated but solvable’-reduces recurrence by 30%, per a 2020 meta-analysis in Emotion journal.

Consider the short relief from letting out anger versus the serious dangers, such as a 26% greater chance of dying early from bottled-up anger (according to a Finnish group study). Choosing mindfulness brings clear improvements in feelings and health.

What Metrics Highlight the Downsides of Impulsive Responses?

Measures like hours spent dwelling on thoughts or broken relationships clearly show the cost of acting on impulse.

The 2022 Kantar survey shows typical mistakes in quick decisions, like overlooking damage to personal ties-65% of people questioned later wished they had not made those fast calls that hurt their links with friends or family.

APA studies, including a 2021 meta-analysis in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, highlight additional warnings: underestimating emotional rebound time (averaging 3-5 hours of daily rumination) and overlooking long-term productivity dips (up to 20% loss).

To measure and mitigate, maintain tracked emotional logs using apps like Daylio or a simple journal: note triggers, immediate reactions, and post-event reflections daily.

Review weekly to identify patterns, reducing impulsivity by fostering pause-and-assess habits, as supported by APA cognitive behavioral techniques.

Which AI Platforms Excel at Objective Data Processing?

When bias clouds your view, these platforms step in with clear-eyed data crunching.

Platforms like Therabot, Wysa, and ChatGPT offer objective mental health support by analyzing emotional inputs without personal bias.

Therabot, made by Kindoma, uses machine learning to handle user journals and mood logs. It finds patterns with NLP algorithms.

A 2022 Stanford study shows this method lowers anxiety by 25% using neutral feedback.

Wysa is an AI chatbot that NHS trials support. It uses CBT techniques to analyze emotional language in chats and provides specific exercises like breathing prompts.

A 2023 Lancet study showed that 70% of users had better moods.

ChatGPT, via OpenAI’s fine-tuned models, objectively summarizes emotional narratives, suggesting resources from APA guidelines, ensuring unbiased, evidence-based responses for self-reflection.

How Do Chatbots Simulate Neutral Perspectives Effectively?

Chatbots strip away personal grudges, offering a mirror of logic in emotional storms.

Platforms like Koko and Youper show this by providing unbiased psychological support.

Koko, developed by the Koko Foundation, uses AI to moderate peer discussions, ensuring neutral facilitation-studies from Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute (2022) show it reduces bias by 40% in emotional exchanges.

Youper uses CBT methods in AI that chats with users. It includes prompts such as “Reply in a neutral way, echo user feelings without judging or adding your own views” to stay neutral.

Tip: Use prompts like “List pros and cons fairly with facts, without favoring one side” to act like neutral counseling.

Integrate these in apps for 24/7 access, as per APA guidelines on digital mental health tools.

Why Are Clear Prompts Needed for Accurate AI Results?

Unclear questions lead to unclear answers. Clear instructions bring out AI’s best results.

To make use of this, build a decision guide for creating prompts in large language models (LLMs), in particular for correct emotional analysis. Evaluate clarity using these key criteria:

• Specificity: Define the exact emotion types (e.g., ‘joy, anger, sadness’) and target text length. Vague prompts like ‘analyze feelings’ fail; instead, say ‘Identify anger indicators in this 200-word customer review.’
• Context: Provide background, such as cultural nuances or speaker demographics, to avoid biases-studies from Stanford’s NLP group (2022) show context boosts accuracy by 25%.
• Structure: Include examples, like ‘Tone: sarcastic-similar to “Oh great, another delay.”‘
• Constraints: Limit output to a rubric scoring emotions on a 1-10 scale.

Rate your prompt on a scale of 1 to 5 for each standard. Change it until each one scores at least 4.

You can use PromptPerfect and the ChatGPT playground to test accurate sentiment detection. This method appears in the arXiv:2305.12345 paper on designing instructions for language models.

How do role-playing situations build prompt skills?

Step into scripted conflicts with AI to sharpen your questioning edge.

Drawing from University of Toronto’s 2022 study on therapeutic chatbots (published in Journal of Medical Internet Research), which showed AI role-play improving empathy by 25%, here’s a step-by-step tutorial for effective prompting in therapy sessions:

1. Select a Scenario: Pick a common conflict, like ‘client upset over job loss,’ based on research emphasizing realistic setups.
2. Craft Initial Prompt: Use: ‘Act as a distressed client: I just lost my job and feel worthless. ‘Respond naturally.’ This follows Toronto’s way of adding depth to conversations.
3. Engage in Role-Play: Ask probing questions, e.g., ‘What thoughts are racing through your mind?’ Simulate 5-10 exchanges to practice active listening.
4. Analyze and Refine Look at responses for missing parts; change prompts, such as by adding “Include feelings of anxiety” to make them more lifelike.

Repeat weekly to build skills, as per the study’s longitudinal findings.

Why Start with Low-Stakes Situations for AI Practice?

Begin with trivial choices, like outfit picks, to test AI without high pressure.

This low-stakes interaction, available in apps like Earkick, helps teens familiarize with AI voices for emotional support.

Gradually build confidence with these quick daily practices:

1. First, start your morning by asking the AI for a mood-based outfit suggestion, taking just 2 minutes to affirm your choices.
2. Second, midday, share one gratitude item via voice note-Earkick’s AI responds with encouraging affirmations, backed by studies from the Journal of Positive Psychology showing gratitude boosts teen resilience by 20%.
3. End the day with a 5-minute question to think about, like “What made you smile?” This helps you notice your feelings without adding stress.

Over a week, these habits integrate AI seamlessly for ongoing support.

What Feedback Loops Strengthen AI Integration?

Loops of trial, review, and tweak turn sporadic AI use into a steady ally.

This method uses reinforcement learning (RL). In RL, AI agents learn by repeating steps: they take actions (trial), check results through rewards (review), and adjust plans (tweak) to get the most gain over time.

Chatbots for emotional management use corrective feedback, such as users rating responses for empathy on a 1-5 scale, to create feedback loops.

For instance, Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), as pioneered in OpenAI’s 2022 InstructGPT study, uses human corrections to align AI behaviors, reducing missteps in handling stress or anxiety.

Actionably, integrate this with apps like Woebot: start sessions daily, provide specific feedback (e.g., ‘Too clinical-add warmth’), and track mood improvements over weeks for personalized emotional regulation.

How Does A/B Testing Compare AI and Emotional Approaches?

Test run two paths on the same issue: one gut-led, one AI-guided, and see what sticks.

In therapeutic alliances, this A/B testing mirrors comparing intuitive counseling with data-driven AI therapy tools.

For gut-led approaches, therapists like Irvin Yalom emphasize emotional spontaneity, fostering warmth and rapport-evidenced in a 2018 APA study showing 25% higher patient satisfaction from empathetic, unscripted sessions. On the other hand, AI tools like Woebot’s CBT chatbot give consistent responses that reduce anxiety by 18%, according to a 2020 Stanford study, but they lack subtle empathy.

To test, journal outcomes: track resolution speed and emotional connection post-session. Gut paths excel in complex relational issues; AI shines for routine cognitive reframing, per Norcross’s alliance research.

Why Track Success Metrics in AI Evaluations?

Without metrics, progress is guesswork; tracking clarifies AI’s real impact.

In mental health, AI apps like Woebot and Youper allow users to track impulsivity with daily mood entries and behavior questions.

Start by setting baselines: rate impulsive urges on a 1-10 scale twice daily via the app’s interface. Over weeks, a 20-30% reduction signals success, as supported by a 2022 JAMA Psychiatry study showing AI chatbots cut impulsivity by 25% in anxiety patients.

Actionable tips include pairing app data with a simple journal-note triggers like stress-and reviewing weekly trends.

Use devices like Fitbit for biofeedback. They monitor changes in your heart rate to find calm times using data.

Doing this often creates habits that stick around.

What repeated changes improve AI prompting?

Tweak and retest prompts like refining a tool for sharper results over time.

1. Start with a simple instruction like “Explain machine learning basics.” This gives broad overviews that skip details.
2. Next step: Add these rulesDescribe machine learning main ideas for people new to it, with comparisons to daily activities and cases from medicine.”
3. Test outputs in tools like ChatGPT’s playground, noting vagueness in responses.
4. Go further by adding the role and format: ‘As a data science professor, write a 500-word tutorial on machine learning basics for beginners, including a step-by-step example with Python code snippets inspired by scikit-learn library.’

OpenAI researchers developed this change through their work on prompt engineering. That work contains their 2023 guide. It shifts outputs from plain summaries into practical lessons that people can put to use, much like how people get better through steady practice.

How Can Automation Tools Make Refinements Easier?

Handle the tedious tweaks automatically to keep your AI performing well without constant manual input.

Use the automatic tools included in chatbot platforms to make changes easier. For instance, in Wysa, enable auto-suggestions that analyze user interactions and propose response adjustments in real-time, reducing manual oversight by up to 70% according to Wysa’s internal studies.

Similarly, integrate tools like Zapier to trigger periodic model evaluations via APIs from Hugging Face, scheduling fine-tuning sessions weekly. Key tips include:

• Monitor performance metrics automatically with TensorBoard for anomaly detection.
• Use user ratings from feedback loops to make several versions of instructions on their own in tools like ChatGPT’s custom GPTs.
• Employ no-code platforms like Airtable for logging tweaks, ensuring consistent updates without coding.

This approach maintains AI accuracy while freeing time for strategic tasks.

Why Establish Routines to Sustain AI Habits?

Routines anchor AI in your life, turning optional checks into unbreakable reflexes.

From a human evolution viewpoint, daily routines do not just push habits that block our built-in urge for fresh experiences. They push back against boredom cues, which in the past drove early humans to search for food and safety to stay alive, but today can lead to time-wasting activities.

A 2019 study in the Evolutionary Psychology journal found that regular routines help manage dopamine levels, which supports steady progress more than chasing unpredictable new things.

To build them actionably, start with cue-based triggers: set a 7 AM phone reminder for a 10-minute AI query session using tools like ChatGPT or Grok. Track progress in a simple journal, adjusting weekly to align with goals-e.g., querying market trends for work.

Over time, this evolves checks into reflexes, balancing exploration with stability.

What Community Resources Support Long-Term Adoption?

Check online forums and hotlines for stories from others that support your work with AI.

Subreddits like Reddit’s r/artificial, r/MachineLearning, and r/mentalhealth share practical advice on AI for mental health support. Users share experiences with tools like Woebot-an AI chatbot based on CBT principles, backed by a 2017 Stanford study showing reduced depression symptoms.

Join discussions to learn setup methods, such as integrating Replika for daily mood tracking.

For crises, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential), where counselors can guide AI supplementation, per SAMHSA guidelines.

These materials encourage long-term use by linking real-life stories to research-backed methods, which builds emotional strength.

What Broader Benefits Emerge from AI-Driven Responses?

AI offers more than quick fixes. It changes your personal thoughts and relationships in deep ways.

By analyzing your mood through voice patterns or journal entries, AI tools like Woebot provide personalized cognitive behavioral therapy exercises, boosting emotional intelligence as shown in a 2021 Stanford study where users reported 20% improved self-awareness after four weeks.

For connections, apps such as Replika simulate empathetic conversations, helping introverts practice social skills.

1. Start with daily 10-minute AI-guided reflections via Daylio app,
2. then schedule virtual chats.

Experts at the American Psychological Association warn against over-reliance, noting risks like reduced genuine empathy; balance by limiting sessions to twice weekly and integrating real human interactions to avoid emotional isolation.

How Does AI Build Emotional Intelligence Gradually?

AI acts as a patient coach, gradually building your EQ through repeated, insightful exchanges.

Consider Alex, a mid-level manager facing team conflicts. His social skills followed Darwin’s survival ideas: success depended on better people skills.

Using an AI tool like Replika integrated with EQ assessments from the Emotional Intelligence Consortium, Alex journaled daily interactions. The AI analyzed entries, providing corrective feedback: ‘In that meeting, empathy could have diffused tension-try mirroring emotions next time.’

In three months, Alex’s EQ score increased by 25% according to Goleman’s model in Emotional Intelligence (1995). This led to better self-awareness.

Actionable steps:

1. Log scenarios weekly,
2. query AI for alternatives, and
3. Pretend scenario replies to improve changing actions in live group settings.

What Ethical Considerations Arise in AI Reliance?

Leaning too hard on AI raises flags about privacy and authenticity in your emotional life.

To deal with this, pay attention to ethical issues in FTC guidelines on data privacy and APA standards for psychological practice. Common issues include:

• Data breaches: AI chatbots like Replika store sensitive emotional disclosures; prevent by using end-to-end encrypted apps (e.g., Signal-integrated tools) and reviewing privacy policies per FTC’s 2023 AI report.
• Inauthentic advice: AI lacks empathy, risking misinformation-e.g., Woebot’s CBT scripts can’t handle crises; cross-verify with licensed therapists via platforms like BetterHelp.
• Dependency overreach Depending too much on this weakens personal connections. The FTC cautions against misleading tactics-keep chats to 30 minutes each day, and see a therapist if feelings grow strong, based on APA rules. Safeguard by journaling offline for authenticity.

Why Balance AI Use with Human Empathy?

AI handles logic, but nothing beats the warmth of a real conversation for true connection.

In his 2023 advisory on the loneliness epidemic, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy points out that human empathy builds close connections by sharing personal weaknesses, which differs from the responses that AI is programmed to give. AI does a good job with quick, expandable help.

Tools like Woebot give cognitive behavioral therapy exercises around the clock, which cuts wait times for assistance and looks at behaviors to give advice fitted to each person.

Yet, human interactions excel in depth, intuitively reading nonverbal cues to build trust, as seen in studies from the American Psychological Association showing face-to-face talks lower cortisol by 20-30%.

To maintain relationships, blend both: use AI for quick check-ins and humans for empathetic listening, ensuring balanced, supportive connections.

How Can AI Improve Work and Personal Connections?

From boardroom negotiations to family talks, AI preps you to respond with poise and clarity.

Imagine, like in the film Her, where Theodore bonds with an AI companion that hones his emotional responses, transforming awkward silences into meaningful exchanges.

Today on social media, AI chatbots like Replika or Grok let you practice heated Twitter arguments or delicate direct messages. This teaches you how to settle disputes by seeing things from the other person’s side.

Begin with practicing situations: enter a family argument into ChatGPT, adjust your response to have a calm tone, and then use it in real life.

Research from MIT’s Media Lab shows that these AI conversations increase the ability to form relationships by 25%. This creates stronger ties in online social media and face-to-face talks by using careful, knowledgeable language.