3 Step Ritual To Release An Emotion in 90 seconds
Have you ever been stuck in that emotional loop spiral? Where a thought or something in your environment triggers a flood of emotion and you just can't seem to shake the feelings that it stirred? Well, I certainly have, and as a life and healing coach I see it daily. Something happens, we get upset, or sad, or angry, and that feelings lasts for hours, days, or even persists years later.
Recently I came across an article in Psychology today that shared that we are more in control of our emotions than we think (sigh of relief). In the article, they shared that brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor, author of My Stroke Of Insight, describes our ability to regulate that neurological process that she calls the 90-second rule: When a person has a reaction to something in their environment, there’s a 90-second chemical process that happens; any remaining emotional response is just the person choosing to stay in that emotional loop.”
Refreshing right? And the best part? It works! Here is the 3 step ritual to release an emotion in 90 seconds:
- Acknowledge and describe the physical sensations that you are feeling in your body. Suggestions: numb, tingling, heaviness, stuck
- Label the emotion. Suggestions: anger, resentment, pain, grief, saddness, uneasiness
- Feel the emotional release. By acknowledging and labeling the feelings and emotions, you are building a healing somatic connection between your mind and body - allowing you to consciously feel the release of that emotion.
Important note: You are now in control of wether you pick this emotion back up and ride the wave once again, or leave it behind you. The only thing that will re-trigger this emotion is the thoughts that you choose. What helps me is to choose a new word of an emotion or state of being that I want to embody. Such as: calm, present, peaceful, and even happiness.
BONUS: If you would like to try this practice in real time, meditate with me and this practice here.
