Self-awareness and self-regulation
Step 1 / 3·When emotion hijacks reason
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Learning objectives — after this module you will:
- Understand why we overreact and then regret it
- Identify your own personal triggers
- Apply the pause technique and name your emotions
When emotion hijacks reason
Understand the biology behind overreacting.
When the brain detects a threat — including social threats like being criticised in front of others — the amygdala fires a 'fight or flight' response BEFORE the prefrontal cortex (where deliberation happens) has time to process. This is the 'amygdala hijack': emotion takes the wheel for the first few seconds.
It explains why we say something we regret ten minutes later. It isn't poor discipline — biology simply runs faster than deliberation. The good news: the effect is short-lived. Get through that window without acting and the reasoning part comes back online.
The 6-second rule
Even a very short pause lets the stress chemistry start to subside and the deliberative part re-engage. So one tiny action — taking a deep breath and counting to six before responding — is usually enough to answer with reason instead of instinct. The email equivalent: write it, then wait until the next morning to send.
Key takeaway: Emotion hijacks the first few seconds; waiting past that window (the 6-second rule) brings reason back.