The two-minute pause I'm practicing before I react

I've been noticing how fast I react when something hits a nerve — a sharp reply, a tight chest, a story I'm already telling myself about what someone meant. This week I'm trying one small thing: when I feel that surge, I pause for about two minutes before I do anything. Sometimes I just sit with my hands in my lap. Sometimes I step into another room. I don't use the time to rehearse my argument — that part is the hard part. I just let the first wave pass. More often than not, what I say after the pause is kinder and truer than what I would have said before it. Do you have a pause habit of your own? I'd love to hear what yours looks like.