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In this installation of our wellness series, here are the Key Takeaways that you can expect:

• Understand the neuroscience behind the 90-second rule for emotional regulation.
  
• Learn a simple, practical step-by-step technique to reset and calm intense emotions.
  
• Discover how rethinking prolongs emotional distress beyond 90 seconds.
  
• Experience how BloomPal’s guided 90-second reset exercise can help regain control and calm.
  

Managing Stress to Boost Productivity and Emotional Control

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In our last blog, Stress vs. Productivity — How to Find Balance in Work-Life, we explored how unmanaged stress can chip away at our productivity and well-being. Today, we dive deeper into how you can actively control your emotional responses in stressful moments, restoring calm quickly and protecting your productivity.

If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by anger or anxiety and felt powerless during those moments, this post is for you. Neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s revolutionary 90-second rule unlocks how emotions work in the brain and offers a practical reset to calm your mind and body fast.

The Science of Emotion: What is the 90-Second Rule?

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist, discovered that the emotional chemical surge your body experiences when triggered lasts about 90 seconds, and no longer, unless you consciously or unconsciously replay the thoughts fueling the emotion.^1-7

When an emotional trigger occurs, your brain releases special “messenger chemicals” called neurochemicals into the bloodstream. Think of them as alarm signals that causes physical reactions.

Put simply: these signals make you feel things like anger, fear, or panic, but the “alarm” usually switches off in about 90 seconds (as seen on the graph below), unless we hit the replay button in our mind by thinking about the trigger over and over.  

Photo generated using Gemini AI

Understanding this empowers us: emotions have a biological deadline. We choose whether to rerun the loop or move on.

Why Do We Get Stuck? The Role of Thought Patterns

Human beings uniquely construct emotions by combining physiological sensations with personal interpretations. Our thinking plays a pivotal role in whether an emotion fades or intensifies.

For example, that frustrating email or snub at work can ignite stress. If, after the initial 90 seconds, you decide to replay or amplify it in your mind (“They meant to disrespect me!”), the emotional chemicals get re-triggered, making you feel stuck in anger or anxiety far longer than biologically necessary.⁶

Photo generated using ChatGPT

This pattern is a key driver behind chronic stress and productivity drain, discussed in our previous post, Stress vs. Productivity — How to Find Balance in Work-Life . The good news is that breaking this cycle, interrupting negative thought loops, can reduce stress and help you regain your focus and balance.

The 90-Second Reset Technique: Step-by-Step

Here’s how to apply the 90-second rule and calm overwhelming emotions in real time. Let’s say you just got a difficult email from your boss that makes your heart pound. Instead of immediately typing a reply or letting the feeling spiral follow these simple steps⁶:

1. Pause Immediately: The moment you notice intense emotions rising, anger, fear, frustration, stop what you’re doing.
2. Become the Observer: Imagine you’re stepping back and watching yourself from a distance, like you’re a character in a movie noticing the moment’s drama.
3. Find a Second Hand or Timer: Look at your watch, phone, or a clock and focus on the second hand for 90 seconds, or count slowly in your head.
4. Tune Into Physical Sensations: Notice if your hands are sweaty, your jaw clenches, or your breath is shallow. Don’t worry about “fixing” it, just watch it happen—like weather passing by.
5. Breathe Naturally and Let It Pass: Try not to add new stressful thoughts. Remind yourself: “This feeling is like a wave and will be gone soon.”
6. After 90 Seconds, Reflect and Choose: Once the “wave” has passed, check in by asking these 3 questions:  1. Is it true? 2. Can I do something about it? 3. Can I accept it and do something despite its presence? 

Why Try This Technique? Reset!

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Why does this matter to you? Because these 90 seconds are your “reset button.” If you can pause and let the chemicals run their course, you’ll stop emotions from hijacking your whole day.

• You gain back control, rather than saying or doing something impulsively you might regret.
• You’ll keep stress from building up, which means better focus, less drama, and improved relationships.
• Practicing this even once or twice makes it easier the next time a big feeling hits.

How do you get started?

Try it out today: the next time something pushes your buttons, just pause, watch the seconds tick by, and remind yourself that, in a minute and a half, you’ll be back in the driver’s seat.

How BloomPal Supports Your Emotional Reset

At BloomPal, we believe emotional self-awareness and regulation are foundational to mental fitness and productivity. Our app will feature a guided 90-second reset tool that helps you implement this practice anywhere, anytime:

• When stress or emotions feel overwhelming, you’ll be able to open BloomPal and select the guided reset.
  
• A calm voice leads you through observing sensations and timing your reset with soothing cues.
  
• With regular practice, this fast-acting mindfulness hack becomes second nature, helping you avoid impulsive reactions and maintain balance throughout your day.
  

BloomPal’s personalized mental wellness approach will integrate this neuroscience-backed technique seamlessly into your daily routine for lasting impact.

Join the BloomPal Beta Shortlist Today

Ready to take control of your emotions and boost your mental fitness? Sign up for BloomPal’s beta shortlist and be the first to access our guided 90-second reset exercise and other brain-based mental wellness tools.

Master the art of resetting quickly, so stress doesn’t control your day, and build calm and focus with BloomPal, your partner in mental balance.

References

1. Stillman, J. (2025, July 25). Boost your emotional intelligence with the 90-second rule. Inc. https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/emotionally-intelligent-people-use-the-90-second-rule-to-handle-big-feelings-heres-why/91211314
2. Dortero, A. (2023, August 28). The teenage brain & the 90 second rule. Neighborhood Naturopathic. https://www.neighborhood-naturopathic.com/blog/the-teenage-brain-and-the-90-second-rule
3. Stone, A. M., PhD, CGP. (2020, November 12). 90 seconds to emotional resilience. https://www.alysonmstone.com/90-seconds-to-emotional-resilience/
4. Watson, A.-M. (2022, September 7). Improve your emotional self-awareness with this 90-second rule. Hintsa Insights. https://www.hintsa.com/insights/blogs/improve-your-emotional-self-awareness/
5. Wong, K. (2020, April 26). The 90-second rule that builds self-control. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-right-mindset/202004/the-90-second-rule-builds-self-control
6. Mark, T. (2025, March 10). A psychologist shares the ‘90-second rule’ to survive emotional waves. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2025/03/10/a-psychologist-shares-the-90-second-rule-to-survive-emotional-waves/
7. The 90 second life cycle of an emotion [Video]. (2021, May 26). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxARXvljKBA