health

March 9, 2026

I spent a day trying the 90-second rule – and it didn’t make me less angry

Our physiological response to emotions apparently lasts just a minute and a half. But there’s an embarrassing episode from 2009 that still makes me sweat

I spent a day trying the 90-second rule – and it didn’t make me less angry

TL;DR

  • The "90-second rule," explored by neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor, posits that the body's physiological response to an emotion lasts only 90 seconds.
  • This occurs from the moment a thought is formed until the body clears released neurochemicals like noradrenaline.
  • The author tested the rule by allowing themselves 90 seconds to feel emotions such as anger and anxiety.
  • The author found the process of intentionally experiencing emotions for 90 seconds to be too time-consuming for a typical workday.

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