Hi Malina,
Let’s bring the lost art back again 🙂 Regarding other people jumping in and claiming more airspace during thinking time, a few years ago another apprentice interviewed me for a project and I was struck by how she would occasionally pause and say something “I am just taking a moment” when she needed thinking time. It worked very well. Some of the pauses felt long but they worked. Since then, I sometimes try actually naming the fact that I am taking some thinking time. Maybe that is something to try, in certain situations.
Foraging, Growing and Using Herbs in Cities