How the 90 Second Rule is Changing My Life - Tuesday Thoughts

A little while ago, I started intermittent fasting.. 16/8 and I LOVE IT! Hello brain.. nice to see you again! As I continue on this journey of transformation, I'm learning just how much I stuffed, quite literally, my emotions. Now I'm learning to lean into my feelings, good and/or bad. What does it mean to lean into your feelings? Well.. try to visualize it.. it is literally moving toward the feeling you’re experiencing, rather than stuffing it, turning away from, ignoring it.. all those things I’d rather do, especially if the feeling is pain or fear based..

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Found myself sitting in my car, engine running, in the driveway, hands gripping the steering wheel, breathing thru the pain of the fight I had just had with my son until the urge to drive to McDonald's was gone. Victory!! And then guess what happened immediately after.. my mind rationalized that I needed a new prop for a shoot in the studio later this week, and once again, I found myself in the Exact. Same. Position in the Hobby Lobby parking lot. WTF!! My body was craving the endorphin hit from food and when that didn't happen, it turned to shopping. I wanted to feel the endorphins because I didn’t want to feel what I was really feeling.. sadness and guilt. But I didn't really need the prop. So there I sat, until I could clear my mind. And then I drove home. Another Victory!! I actually was able to put into practice the 90 second life changing rule…

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What Is The 90 Second Rule?

Brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor wrote in her book, A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, that all emotions last only 90 seconds.. What?!?! How is that even possible, because when I get mad… I’m like, MAD.. I remember a fight that I had with my husband and I was mad for days!! Truth be told.. I don’t actuallly remember what the fight was about, but I remember being really mad about whatever it was..lol

I found this excerpt from the elephant journal about sitting with your emotions for 90 seconds.. Its pretty powerful and I hope with practice, it will get easier..

“Taylor describes the 90-second rule as, “Once triggered, the chemical released by my brain surges through my body and I have a physiological experience. Within 90 seconds from the initial trigger, the chemical component of my anger has completely dissipated from my blood and my automatic response is over. 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.”

All emotions last for less than 90 seconds, Taylor explains. If anything continues after that it is because we have added our own story and chosen to hold on to the emotion. Therefore, we are causing our emotions to escalate further and we are also ensuring they last longer. The more often we replay the memory, that is attached to a thought, or repeat one of our old painful stories, we remain caught in the cycle and it will get more and more difficult to disconnect.”

So this week, I’m going to continue to lean into my emotions.. and let them flow thru me and then right on out.. I don’t need to eat (or shop) my feelings anymore. It doesn’t serve me anymore.

This journey is so much more than my physical weight...

Welcome to my awakening..