16/10/2025
So worth the read!
💭 Brain Bite: The 90-Second Emotion Rule
When a big feeling hits, it can feel like it will last forever.
But here’s the science: most emotional responses in the body last around 90 seconds, unless we re-trigger them with thoughts, stories, or resistance.
That first wave is called the chemical cascade: stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol flooding the system. After about a minute, the body is ready to settle… if we let it.
✨ What helps in those 90 seconds?
✔ Pause and breathe → the body learns feelings can pass.
✔ Say, “Are you feeling sad?” instead of “Stop crying” → they feel safe to feel.
✔ Stay close without fixing it → they learn emotions aren’t dangerous.
✔ Resist lecturing mid-tantrum → they feel supported, not shamed.
Big feelings aren’t the problem.
It’s what we do in those 90 seconds that teaches resilience.
In the Mind Bubbles program, we show educators and families how to ride the wave with children, using playful tools that meet the brain in the moment, not after the storm.
Because they’re not just listening.
They’re becoming. 🌱
