Practice the 90-second rule

In her book My Stroke of Insight, neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor states that it takes about 90 seconds for a strong emotional response to travel through your entire system. “Although there are certain limbic system (emotional) programs that can be triggered automatically, it takes less then 90 seconds for one of these programs to be triggered, surge through our body, and then be completely flushed out of our blood stream.” This means that any programmed response, anger, for example, gets triggered automatically and produces a surge of chemicals that makes up a physiological experience. But in 90 seconds that physiological experience has come and gone. “If, however, I remain angry after those 90 seconds have passed, then it is because I have chosen to let that circuit continue to run. Moment by moment, I make the choice to either hook into my neurocircuitry or move back into the present moment, allowing that reaction to melt away as fleeting physiology.”

This week we will be practicing the 90-second rule by observing our emotional reactions and then attempting to choose which emotional loops we want to hook into.

HOW-TO: Next time when you have a strong emotional reaction to something, give it 90 seconds to wash over you. Don’t fight it, just notice. After about 90 seconds remind yourself that you have a choice now to either hold on to that emotion, or to pull yourself out of it. And then make that choice. You can continue to stew in the emotion, if that’s your choice, or you can anchor your attention in the present moment by focusing on one of your senses (sight, smell, tactile sensations) or breathing. Notice if you succeed in breaking the emotional loop. And please share your experience!