How to Control Your Emotions (According to Neuroscience) episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 15, 2026 · 17 MIN

How to Control Your Emotions (According to Neuroscience)

from Office Hours with Arthur Brooks · host Arthur Brooks

Most people think emotions happen to them. In reality, emotions are signals—and you can learn to manage them.In this clip, I break down how emotions move from the limbic system, where they’re generated, to the prefrontal cortex, where you can interpret, direct, and act on them wisely. This is the difference between being controlled by your emotions and learning to control them. You’ll learn why “counting to ten” actually works (and why 30 seconds is even better), how metacognition gives your thinking brain time to catch up with your feeling brain, and how simple practices like journaling, contemplation, and emotional documentation physically change how your brain processes stress, fear, and anger. We also explore how modern life keeps your amygdala constantly activated, turning natural episodic fear into chronic anxiety, and how to reverse that by turning vague anxiety back into clear, manageable fear using structured writing techniques.Website: https://arthurbrooks.com/Pre-order My New Book: https://TheMeaningOfYourLife.comNewsletter: https://arthurbrooks.com/newsletterX (Twitter): https://x.com/arthurbrooksInstagram: https://instagram.com/arthurcbrooksFacebook: https://facebook.com/arthurbrooksYouTube: @drarthurbrooksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/Email: [email protected]

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 15, 2026

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How to Control Your Emotions (According to Neuroscience)

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