A few years ago I was convinced that once I felt angry or anxious, I was stuck riding that wave for the rest of the day. Turns out that's not true — and the science behind it is simpler than you'd think.

When something triggers an emotional reaction, your body releases a chemical response that physically flushes through your bloodstream and is metabolized in about 90 seconds. After that, any emotion you're still feeling is because you're actively re-triggering it with your thoughts — replaying the situation, arguing with it in your head, feeding the fire.

That means the actual physiological wave of anger, panic, or hurt is short. What makes it feel like it lasts for hours is us.

The practical version of this: next time you feel a strong emotion hit, try just naming it ("this is anger") and giving it 90 seconds without acting on it or feeding it a story. Breathe. Let the wave pass through. Then decide what to do next — from a calmer place.

It's not magic and it doesn't fix everything, but it's the single most useful tool I teach beginners, because it works in the moment when you need it most, not just in theory.

If you want the full breakdown — plus techniques for what to do in that 90 seconds and how to build this into a lasting habit — I put together a full course on it: Emotional Mastery for Beginners. Real, no-fluff frameworks for people just starting to get a handle on their emotional world.