The 90-Second Emotion Rule: How to Feel It Without Letting It Rule You
- Unique Kween Alpha
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
Ever felt like a single emotion hijacked your entire day? Like one moment of anger, sadness, or frustration spiraled into hours of overthinking, emotional eating, or snapping at people you love?
You’re not alone and there’s a powerful truth that can set you free:
✨ Emotions only last 90 seconds; unless you keep feeding them.
This isn’t just a motivational quote. It’s neuroscience, baby.
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a renowned brain scientist, taught us something revolutionary: when an emotion is triggered in your body, the actual chemical reaction the rush of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol only lasts about 90 seconds.
Let that land.
Your body processes an emotional response in less time than it takes to boil water or post a story on IG. After that? Anything lingering is because your mind is looping the story.
💡 Let’s break it down:
Someone says something hurtful → Your brain fires off a response.
You feel it in your chest, your throat, your belly.
The emotional cocktail (hormones + neurotransmitters) floods your system.
90 seconds later, your body resets.
But if you’re still upset? It’s because your thoughts are keeping the fire burning.
That’s where your power comes in.
🧘🏾♀️ You’re Not Suppressing. You’re Witnessing.
This isn’t about stuffing your feelings down. It’s about feeling the wave without being dragged under.
Here's a simple practice to try:
1. Name the emotion: “This is fear.” “This is grief.” “This is shame.”
2. Breathe through it: Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 6. Repeat.
3. Observe without feeding the story: Let the emotion do what it came to do pass through you.
4. Ask: What’s the lesson? What’s the truth under this?
💎 Why This Matters on Your Journey
When you learn to pause, feel, and release you stop being a prisoner to your past or other people’s projections. You create space to respond instead of react. You preserve your peace and lead from power, not pain.
This is the sacred work. This is emotional alchemy.
The next time something tries to knock you off center, remember:
You’ve got 90 seconds to feel it and a lifetime to rise above it.
🌿 Take it deeper:
Journal prompt: What emotions have I been replaying on loop lately? What story keeps them alive?
Mantra: “I feel it. I breathe through it. I let it pass.”
Ritual idea: Set a 90-second timer. Light a candle. Feel the emotion fully. Then blow it out and release.
You are not your feelings. You are the sacred witness, the sovereign guide, and the soul with the power to choose peace again and again.
🕊️ With deep grace,
Nicole Dominique
Unique Kween Alpha
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