Emotions: How long do they last?

It is the season of cheer. World over, people are celebrating Christmas. Laughter, joy, happiness.

But how long does an emotion last? A few hours, weeks? Months?

The answer will vary depending on who you ask and where they are in their lives. But here is the funny thing.

Emotions do not last as long as you think they do. Good or bad.

In an experiment conducted in the early 1990s, researchers asked subjects to state how long they felt their emotions lasted.

People cited durations ranging from a few hours to even a week.But the truth is stranger than you can imagine. So how long do emotions last?

One theory says thoughts and emotions last only 90 seconds in your mind and body.

Wait, what you say? That is impossible. I was brooding all day today.

Yes, you could have been. The reason, though, was that you kept revisiting the same thought over and over again.

What ever the actual duration, what can you do to regualte your thoughts?

We live distracted lives. When we feel emotions, we add to our list of distractions. Pick up something and start flipping through it mindlessly, desperately hoping for a diversion.

But that is a little bit like saying I will run the Boston marathon, while focusing on the crowds. That should get me through to the end line. Clearly, our premise is false.

Instead, teach yourself to be aware. Aware of the thought that created the emotion in the first place.

If it was a happy one, learn how to compound. If it was not, learn to change your thoughts.

For both, language is key.

What you tell yourself when the thought occurs will determine whether the thought will return or not.

So create a list of words or sentences. Write them down if that is easier. Go visit them when ever you want to regulate what you are thinking.

Think of these words like your magic mantra. A mantra that helps prevent you returning to your thoughts again and again.

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain