Experience The Wave

At the end of last week’s discussion, I suggested that the next time your feelings emerge, pay attention. Take a moment, breathe, and really notice what is taking place inside of you on a physiological level. Experience the wave.

Let’s talk about ‘the wave’. Neuroscientist and author Jill Bolte-Taylor describes when an emotion gets triggered and a feeling is evoked, “the biochemicals released by your brain surge through your body and activate bodily sensations (the neural firing patterns) that are unique to you. Think of this rush of biochemicals as a wave. As these biochemicals are completely flushed out of your bloodstream, and the physiological feelings subside, it feels as if the wave has passed.

From the point of an initial trigger, Dr. Bolte-Taylor described that each surge or wave of emotion has a biochemical lifespan of roughly 90 seconds. Depending on the intensity and one’s subjective experience of the feeling, its lifespan could be considerably shorter (as brief as a few seconds); yet the rush isn’t going to last any longer than 90 seconds.

One of my clients put the 90-seconds concept into such great perspective: It’s less time than half a song! You may have to experience one or more waves of any given feeling or feelings, but any feeling, no matter how overwhelming it might be in the moment, is temporary.

Next week, I’ll talk about how to handle lingering feelings.

This weeks questions:

Have you experienced the sensation Jill Bolte-Taylor describes?

Did it feel like a wave to you?

I’d love for you to respond on my facebook group!

Join my group on Facebook LOVE MY LIFE and let me know. I’ll post the question and jump on myself to chat and answer questions you may have, on Wednesday at 3:00 pm Pacific.

To A Life You Love,

Dr. Joan Rosenberg