A couple of days ago, I was sitting on the bed of my Bavarian vacation rental. I was staring at the blank walls, thoughts racing, sheep bleating in a nearby stable. I’d just snapped at my mother, and I could feel the tension all over my body. Worse, I felt the urge to keep arguing. Part of me wanted to be angry and start a fight.

I was exhausted from a week of non-stop family time. Tired of continuous conversations. I missed my routines and having my own space. And when my Mum, a wonderful woman, interrupted me during an emotional conversation, she triggered some old childhood circuits.