Your Brain Is Telling You Stories Again
Your Brain Is Telling You Stories Again
It doesn’t take much — a look, a tone, a late-night thought — and suddenly your body is on edge, your heart races, your chest tightens, and your mind starts spinning. But beneath all that intensity, something surprisingly brief is happening: your brain releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, triggering a stress response commonly known as fight-or-flight. What we often don’t realize is that, as powerful as these emotions feel, this initial chemical wave typically lasts only 60 to 90 seconds. That’s it.
So if emotions are that short-lived, why can one moment throw off our entire day? Because emotions often don’t just stay in the body; they get picked up by the mind. And if there’s one thing I always tell my clients, it’s that the mind is VERY good at telling stories.
The stories we tell ourselves
A “story” is the automatic interpretation your brain creates to make sense of what just happened. It sounds like: “I did something wrong,” “They’re upset with me,” or “I can’t handle this.” For example, say your partner’s tone feels off, triggering a quick spike of anxiety. On its own, this initial surge would pass within 60 to 90 seconds, but instead, the story kicks in as your brain starts filling in the blanks. Each new interpretation can re-trigger the same stress response, prolonging the reaction and making it feel like the emotion won’t go away.
So it’s not that the emotion itself lasts for hours; it’s that the initial response can be prolonged and repeatedly reactivated over time.
So what can you do?
Not every feeling needs a story, and not every thought needs your attention. The goal isn’t to reject emotions, but to experience them without automatically feeding into the narrative your mind creates.
Most of us tend to do one of two things: we either tell ourselves to “get over it,” or we go down the rabbit hole of worst-case scenarios (neither of which helps the emotion settle any faster). Instead, we can treat the emotion as a physical experience rather than something to immediately explain or fix. We can notice what’s happening in the body without adding extra meaning on top of it. You might say to yourself, “This is anxiety. My chest feels tight. This will pass.”
The point isn’t to convince yourself of anything; it’s to allow the body’s natural stress response to run its course without unnecessary interference.
Practical tools to try
One simple approach is to pause and give the emotion space for those 90 seconds without interfering — no fixing, no analyzing, just noticing what’s happening. Where do you feel it in your body? Does it shift, intensify, or stay in one place? While the initial surge of the stress response is often brief, allowing it to move through without resistance can help it settle more quickly. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is simply feel the emotion and let that be enough.
If your mind starts building a story during that time, gently redirect your attention. Notice what you can see, hear, or physically feel around you. You can even name these sensations out loud to help anchor your attention in the present moment. The goal isn’t to avoid the emotion, but to reduce the added mental narrative that can keep the stress response active.
If the feeling persists, that can be a cue to look at the story more directly. Ask yourself, “What am I telling myself right now?” and “Is this thought based on fact or assumption?” If it’s based on fact, it may point to something that needs action. If it’s based on assumption, it may be a sign that the narrative is amplifying the emotional response rather than reflecting reality.
Bottom Line
Emotions often begin as brief physical responses, but what can keep them going is the meaning we attach to them. When you learn to notice the difference between the initial feeling and the story that follows, you create space between the two. And often, that space is enough for the emotion to settle rather than take over the rest of your day.
You don’t need to control every emotion; you just need to stop giving every thought a microphone.
If you often find yourself stuck in anxious thoughts, worst-case scenarios, or emotional overwhelm, you don't have to navigate it alone. Reach out to Tess Krimmer or the team at Center for Integrative Change to explore how therapy can help you better understand your emotions, quiet unhelpful mental narratives, and build lasting resilience.
Meet Tess!
About The Author
Tess Krimmer, MA, AMFT (AMFT157358), is supervised by Jeremy Mast, MS, MDiv, LMFT, CSAT, CPTT (CA90961), and earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. Recognizing that healing can often feel overwhelming and uncertain, Tess offers a supportive, judgment-free space where clients are invited to gently explore and make sense of the parts of themselves that may feel confusing, painful, or difficult to face. When appropriate, she integrates EMDR techniques to assist clients in processing difficult memories and easing emotional distress, empowering them to build a stronger sense of self and more fulfilling connections along the way. Off the clock: When not in session, I enjoy trail running, woodwork, and lounging at the beach with my black lab, Theo.
