Temperament Swap: Two Minutes, New Medicine
Borrow a Mood, Stay in Your Power
A temperament swap is a quick, intentional role/strategy switch: you (or a child) borrow the strengths and regulation tools of a different temperament for a few minutes to balance the moment—without changing who you are.
Why it’s superpowers
Builds flexibility + empathy (“I can try it your way”)
Breaks dysregulation loops (fight/flight/freeze/fawn)
Gives a shared, kid-friendly language for resets
How to do it (2–5 minutes)
Name the weather: “I’m scattered/heated/heavy/stuck.”
Pick a complement: borrow from the balancing temperament.
Do one action + one body cue + one tool. Time-box it. Then debrief: “What helped?”
Quick Swap Menu (borrow this vibe)
Sanguine (sparkly/flight) → borrow Melancholic
Action: write 3 tiny steps
Body: slow exhale while tracing each finger
Tool: sip lemon balm; touch a cool stone
Melancholic (deep/freeze) → borrow Sanguine
Action: 90-second “joy bounce” or 3 sun-reaches
Body: smile-soften jaw, eyes up to sky
Tool: inhale citrus peel; tulsi tea
Choleric (fiery/fight) → borrow Phlegmatic
Action: walk slow, count 20 steps heel-to-toe
Body: hand on belly, 4-7-8 breath
Tool: linden or oatstraw sip; cool cloth
Phlegmatic (gentle/fawn/stuck) → borrow Choleric
Action: set a 3-minute power timer; do the first one move
Body: superhero stance, firm stomp
Tool: whiff peppermint/rosemary; upbeat drum track
Kid-friendly script: “I’m feeling [state]. I’ll borrow [temperament]’s [skill] for [2–5] minutes using [tool].”
Think of it as reciprocity-in-action: each temperament lends its medicine so the whole system can regulate and move.