90-Second Release

The Science Behind the Process 

​

Research tells us that raw emotion lasts for about 90 seconds in the body. 

​

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist and author of My Stroke of Insight, says, “...it takes less than 90 seconds for one of these [emotional] programs to be triggered, surge through our body, and then be completely flushed out of our blood stream.” 

​

She goes on to explain that, if we continue to experience an emotion for longer than 90 seconds, it’s because our minds continue to think about the event and re-trigger the emotion. 

​

So when discomfort arises, the 90-Second Release is a tool you can use to help you turn toward the emotion, be present, and experience the discomfort for 90 seconds. So that you don't have to continue to feel the discomfort for the next 20 years. 

Your instinctive mind might initially compel you to avoid difficult emotions, but your cognitive mind and your logic knows that 90 seconds of discomfort is far easier to manage than 20 years of pain. 

​

Dr. Taylor suggests watching a clock dial or some other mundane task to keep your mind from getting caught up in the drama while you allow the chemicals to flush out of your system. I find watching moving water like the river in this video to be helpful. But anything you can do to keep from reactivating the story in your mind during those 90 seconds will help. 

​

If you want support with this, use the recording above to lead you through this 90-second release. I find that it can be helpful to feel like another person is there with you, keeping track of the time so you can experience the waves of emotion without feeling alone. 

​

I also know we can’t always have someone physically present with us, so I made the recording to support you and get as close to in-person as we can. 

​

The benefit of this exercise is that when the discomfort of the emotion has passed, you’ll have a greater capacity for self-reflection, critical thinking and decision-making. Essentially, the storm has passed and now you’re ready to move into the next stage.