How long emotions last

Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist who specialized in the anatomy of the brain. You may have noticed an emotional reaction after reading this. Recurrent, persistent feelings that are causing distress and impairing relationships, impacting work, school, or other important areas are an indication that something is going.

Our emotions encompass experiences that combine physiological arousal; however, feelings are also influenced by our interpretation of how we perceive a situation. Especially when childhood experiences are rooted in early trauma, these narratives can be very painful and take time to heal. Oftentimes individuals come to therapy to talk about difficulties with a relationship that are a source of conflict, stressors at work or school, and other general areas of life stress but have more difficulty with expressing the feelings related to these experiences.

Feelings may be suppressed or avoided altogether. One may intellectualize problems as a way to cope while minimizing the emotion. For example, in meetings, Bart is often full of judgment toward his clients. Challenge: Bart, like many people, is out of touch with himself. He rarely thinks about his feelings, thoughts or body. Solution: Someone like Bart can start by simply paying more attention to himself. What am I thinking right now?

He might notice mental signs, such as harsh judgments or an intense desire for his clients to leave. Do this as a neutral observer might, without judgment. Solution : Having a cheat sheet helps. This list is easy to memorize. However, you might pick more than one, as you often have multiple feelings at the same time. He can follow up by asking himself, If I had to pick between mad, sad, glad, afraid, and ashamed, what would it be?

Although this question may seem reductive, regularly answering it builds self-awareness. This is crucial, as you have to be aware of a feeling in order to observe it moving through you, which is the last step. Feelings are like ocean waves — they rise, crest and recede, all day long.

This last step involves allowing the feeling to exist without trying to shove it down or deny it, or conversely, magnify it or make it a big deal. Simply observe it. Luckily, you can build up your tolerance for emotions much like you can strengthen muscles by going to the gym. Challenge: Your emotions overwhelm you, like waves that never recede. This is a common dilemma that can be traced to your thoughts.

I can affirm that my emotional well-being is strongly correlated with how much time I spend in nature, especially when external situations income, relationships are weighing on me. That is, a field, a few trees, a view of San Francisco Bay in the distance. Yet even a little bit of nature helped. It was external quiet, which helped to facilitate internal quiet.

Head to a local park, or even look for expressions of nature anywhere you can find: Make eye contact with dogs or birds on the street; look at blossoms in a window box; or if there are no other options, consider all the different species that come together spontaneously and cooperatively in a vacant lot.

It may not create a permanent shift, but at least it can probably offer a little relief. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase an item after clicking the link, I may earn a small commission. Join my mailing list to discover ways to find and deepen inner peace, experience a greater connection to life, and learn to stay steady in the midst of life's storms.

Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions. The Lifespan of an Emotion. Inner Peace in Your Inbox Join my mailing list to discover ways to find and deepen inner peace, experience a greater connection to life, and learn to stay steady in the midst of life's storms.

Name Please enter your name. Email Address Please enter a valid email address. Sign up now. Living the Mess is my passion project. Your donations will help me continue writing these posts.

Sarah Chauncey For more than two decades, I struggled multiple treatment-resistant mood disorders. I spent more than 20 years in psychodynamic therapy and tried 18 different medications. In , I began searching for ways to rewire my brain naturally for inner peace.