In his book Mindsight (2010), neuroscientist Daniel Siegel, M.D., states, “Our ability to pause before we react gives us the space of mind in which we can consider various options and then choose the appropriate ones.”
The emotional audit tool is designed to buy time to provide ourselves with the “space of mind” and choose a response rather than simply, and impulsively react in emotionally-charged situations.
In fact, some of the research indicates that it takes anywhere from two to seven seconds for information to travel from the emotion-processing part of the brain (the limbic system and the amygdala) to the logical reasoning part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex).
The old adage is right: Count to 10 before you respond!
And while you are counting, ask yourself some key, strategic questions to stimulate the prefrontal cortex into action:
1. What am I feeling? (name the emotion)
2. What am I thinking?
3. What do I want to have happen?
4. How am I getting in my own way? How might I sabotage the outcome if I act on impulse?
5. What do I need to do or say right now that will get me to the outcome I want?
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