Did you know that emotions ONLY last 7 minutes? It’s true.
The #1 secret to improve your emotional well-being is understanding the impermanence or temporariness of our emotions.
Emotions come and they go. They do not stay for long. What causes our emotions to stick around, and increase our emotional suffering, is our own added-on thoughts and emotions.
Renowned neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor notes that “the physiological lifespan of an emotion in the body and brain is a 90-second chemical process that happens in the body. The sensations—adrenaline, heat in the face, tightness in the throat, rapid heartbeat—arise, peak and dissipate on their own. These waves last just 90 seconds. After that, we’re simply re-stimulating our internal circuitry (with our own thoughts) and the person is choosing to stay in that emotional loop.”
There is enormous power in acknowledging that emotions are temporary. You can feel sad, but you know that the feeling of sadness will pass. You are not a sad person.
The beauty is, once you learn how to stop layering your own thoughts and emotions, your emotional suffering will decrease, and it will be easier to push through situations.
At the same time, there is power in knowing that our emotions do not define us. Some days are good while others are hard. Some moments are tough, and then it gets better.
We all have emotions. Emotions are good. They communicate important information to us. Intense emotions can easily overwhelm us, however, and have a powerful impact on our behavior. When we act on our emotions too quickly or act on the wrong kinds of emotions, we often make decisions that we later regret.
Gaining control over your emotions will help you rely on your rational brain more frequently to make informed decisions and better judgments.
In my teachings, I use the concept that emotions last up to 7 minutes, and then they are gone. The beauty lies in knowing that you will naturally come up for air every 7 minutes, which gives you an opportunity to change the way you feel frequently. The trick is knowing HOW to use the opportunity.
With emotions, the more we try to control them, the more intense they become, and the longer they last. When we try to push down, avoid, go around or control an emotion, it is like trying to grab tightly onto Jell-O. The more you try, the messier it gets.
The secret to being happy (and reducing your suffering) is learning how to push through your emotions quickly and not layer your thoughts or emotions. Experiencing emotions in a healthy way and not adding on to them is a learned skill.
Check out my latest book, The Instant Anxiety Solution for more information on the 7-minute emotion and many more TIPS and TECHNIQUES on how to take charge of your anxiety. For more information, go to www.michellebiton.com.
Michelle Biton is a Health and Wellness Coach and Educator. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Master’s Degree in Holistic Nutrition and a Certificate in Kinesiology, Health and Fitness Studies. She has been invited to write for the Encyclopedia of Natural Health, Alive Magazine, a variety of online publications, and has been featured on various television, radio shows and magazines as a health and fitness expert. She is the author of The Instant Anxiety Solution.
