Have you ever had a moment when a single comment or situation completely grabbed your mood? There is no … [+]
Emotions can feel overwhelming, often lasting much longer than expected. A single disappointing conversation or a moment of embarrassment can reproduce in mind for hours, forming the rest of the day. However, in reality, the initial emotional reaction itself only lasts 90 seconds – everything beyond this is driven by constant mental engagement.
This idea comes from the neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, who discovered that when an emotional response is caused, the brain emits an increase in neurochemicals that create physiological sensations such as a racing heart, tense muscles or a feeling of sinking in the stomach. If we do nothing to feed the emotion, this chemical reaction is naturally distributed within 90 seconds. Exementation emotion that continues beyond this time limit is supported by repeated thoughts about the stimulating event.
Even strong emotions such as anger, anxiety or disappointment are naturally short -lived. However, they often feel prolonged due to mental habits – repeating scenarios, overcoming or strengthening negative interpretations. Knowing this model, it is possible to interrupt the cycle and regain control over emotional responses.
Here are three strategies that can help restore the mind before taking over an emotion, allowing a move to perspective and a return to emotional balance.
1. Experience emotions without joining
When a strong emotion supervises, the natural response is often to crush it (“I don’t have to feel this way”) or promote it (“that’s so unfair!”). However, both reactions tend to prolong the emotion than to solve it.
INVESTIGATION In emotional oppression it shows that pushing emotions down leads to greater concerns, low self -esteem, and reduced pleasure of relationships over time, as raw emotions reappear later in more intense ways.
Similarly, survey In emotional intelligence suggest that individuals who try to regulate emotions are more prone to negative repetitive thoughts, such as disturbance and rumors, which intensify and prolong emotional distress. In both cases, avoiding or raising excessive emotions keeps them active longer than they should, preventing the natural solution.
A more effective approach is to observe emotion without attaching it. Emotions function as waves – they rise, culminate and eventually fall if left untreated. Instead of resisting or enjoying the feeling, simply accept it.
A useful internal dialogue may be: “This is disappointment. Is temporary. Will pass. “Knowing the emotion without judgment, becomes easier to prevent it from gaining an unnecessary moment.
To implement it in practice, put literally for a period of 90 seconds and allow yourself to fully experience emotion. Pay attention to how it moves through the body – where does it feel more? Is there a special sensation, such as warmth, tightness or worry? Once the timing is over, remind yourself that the biological response has passed its course, and any constant emotion is now being maintained by thoughts rather than the original.
When you accept an emotion instead of resisting them, you reduce its intensity. Printing makes the emotions extend, but observation helps them to pass naturally.
2. Move your focus with a sensory anchor
Once the initial emotional response fades, the mind often keeps the feeling alive by repeating the situation, overestimating what happened or anticipating scenarios of the worst cases.
This mental loop can intensify and extend an emotion too beyond its natural flow. The fastest way to burst from this cycle is to shift attention from thinking to the felt, redirecting concentration away from gossip and in real -time physical experience.
Research shows that “earthing” itself produces an abrupt decline in high levels of resurrection in key physiological markers such as skin conductivity, respiratory rate and circulation, with effects that continue even after ungrounding. These findings suggest that body engagement through sensory experiences can directly affect the nervous system, promoting relaxation and stability.
Since the body exists in the present, while the mind tends to wander in the past or the future, sensory earthing helps raise awareness of anchoring here and now, making negative thoughts more difficult.
Here are three simple earthing techniques that can help break down mental loop and turn your focus on what is true and tangible.
- touch. Keep a quality object – your clothing, a soft stone or a piece of jewelry. Focus on the sensation.
- Respiratory awareness. Take a slow, deep breath and notice the coldness of the air while inhaling the warmth as you draw.
- grounding. Put your hands on a surface (your table, a chair, your lap) and press easily. Feel its solidity under your palms.
You can also do a quick “5-4-3-2-1” exercise for a deeper reset:
- Name 5 things you can see
- Name 4 things you can feel
- Name 3 things you can hear
- Name 2 things you can smell
- Name 1 thing you can enjoy
3 Ask – What is your opinion keeping this alive?
When an emotion remains beyond 90 seconds, it is no longer just a reaction to the event – it is being supported by the story attached to it. The mind naturally tries to understand experiences, but often exaggerates, takes the goal or adjusts the scenarios of the worst cases, extending emotional distress.
For example, thoughts like “They ignored my text; They should be bored with me “can cause anxiety while” I stuck during my presentation; Everyone probably thinks I’m incapable ”can promote self-seeking. In both cases, interpretation – not the event itself – creates emotional concern.
INVESTIGATION In the implied beliefs of emotions, those who see emotions as fixed and uncontrollable are more likely to fight psychological distress as they feel powerless in regulating their emotions.
In contrast, individuals who see emotions as flexible and manageable are better in challenging and recapturing negative patterns of thought, leading to greater emotional and well -being.
An effective way to restore your thoughts is:
- Note the opinion. Ask, “What story are you telling myself now?” Be aware of the inner dialogue that is strengthening emotion.
- question Ask, “Is this a fact, or am I making an assumption?” Challenge if there is current evidence to support trust.
- Refrigerate it. Ask, “What is a more realistic or balanced way to see that?” Look for alternative explanations that are neutral or self-intentional than based on fear.
For example,
- Instead of thinking, “They ignored my text. They have to be angry with me, “Refresh it:“ They didn’t answer my text – maybe they are just busy. “
- Similarly, instead of “I confused that presentation. Everyone should think I’m incapable,” try saying, “A difficult moment does not determine my entire presentation.”
If mental refining feels difficult, write your thoughts down. Looking at the paper helps to separate the fact from the assumption, making distortions easier to recognize. This practice is especially useful for constant emotions such as anxiety, guilt or dissatisfaction.
Are your thoughts directing the show? Put them in the test The degree of attention -awareness of attention– and takes control.