What helps
Moving straight to the practical — try again, apply elsewhere, 'it's not a big deal' — says the blow does not count. It does. A sentence about them is enough, with no judgment of their file.
In the days after, you do not ask what they will do now. If they ask for a view, you answer that. Otherwise a moment with no agenda is worth more than a list.
Later, you do not track their recovery. A date that returns is not the anniversary of the failure: it is a sign about them, today.
Concrete example
"That's a blow. I'm here, with no plan."
Key takeaway
- The setback is real. What comes next is not your subject.
- You do not measure how long they take to rebound.
Try next time
Write a sentence about them, with no next step — unless they ask for one.