[Maria raises a brow at that remark, even if it doesn't sound like he's agonising over it like he was earlier. However, the punch he throws is a lot more reasonable than the ones he'd been doing earlier, and Maria nods approvingly.]

If you can lessen the intensity without having to stop thinking about it that way, then that's fine too. Finding something that works for you is a good place to start before you try to take further steps.

[Even if he still treats it fully as some kind of fighting now, perhaps he can go on later to other things if he starts with something like this.]