A Brain-Based Guide to Emotions

Dr. Yoshi’s NeuroMindset Coaching Blog

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Hello, this is Dr. Yoshi.

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking:

“I snapped again… why am I always so irritable?”
“I hate that I can’t stop crying.”
“Why do I get so upset over something so small?”

And if you’ve ever judged yourself for feeling that way, today I want to offer you a different perspective.

☁️ What if emotions were just brain-made weather forecasts?

Ever had a day where the sun is shining outside but it feels like there’s a thunderstorm inside your heart?

That doesn’t mean you’re broken.

In fact, it means your brain is working hard to send you an “SOS signal.”

The real question is — are you interpreting it correctly?

⚡ Emotion = The Energy Created by a Gap Between Ideal and Reality

First, remember this:

Emotions aren’t good or bad — they’re meaningful.

Let’s say you have an ideal:

“I want to succeed.”
“I want to feel recognized.”

But reality falls short.
That gap produces emotions like anxiety or frustration.

For example,

🗣 Ideal: “I want tomorrow’s presentation to be perfect!”
🆚
😰 Reality: “Oh no… I haven’t even finished the slides!”

That gap creates the energy we feel as anxiety.

In other words:

Emotions are your brain’s way of prompting action to close the gap.

They’re not your enemies.

They’re inner GPS signals pointing to what really matters to you.

Suppressing them won’t help. But using them — that changes everything.

🧬 How Emotions Are Built in the Brain

Here’s how emotions are created, neurologically speaking:

🧠 Emotions are constructed, not received

According to neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett,

Emotions don’t “happen” to us — our brain predicts and constructs them.

It builds a mental scenario:

“Given this situation, this is the appropriate feeling.”
Then sends signals to your body.

So when you say,

“I’m just a naturally angry person,”

you might just be reading from the wrong script!!!

🔥 The truth behind “emotion” = Energy in motion

The word emotion comes from the Latin “emovere,”
which means: “to move out”.

That’s right —

Emotions are fuel designed to move you.

• Anger → “Your boundaries were crossed. Take action.”
• Sadness → “It’s time to let go. Rest now.”
• Anxiety → “Prepare. This path might not be safe.”
• Joy → “This choice feels right. Do more of it.”

They’re not obstacles — they’re navigators.

So instead of stopping them,

Use them.

Let them guide you.

🧠 Meet Your Emotional HQ: The Insular Cortex

Your emotions originate in a part of the brain called the “insula.”

It integrates:

• Internal signals (heartbeat, breath, blood sugar)
• External stimuli (light, sound, smell)
• Memories and learned patterns

All to decide:

“This emotion makes sense right now.”

It’s like Grand Central Station — for your brain and body.

😵‍💫 Why Emotions Spiral: It’s Not the Feeling, It’s the Inner Monologue

Neurologist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor found that

The physiological lifespan of an emotion is just 90 seconds.

If you’re still upset after that, it’s your keeping it alive:

“Why did I say that…?”
“What’s wrong with me…?”

This reactivates the emotional circuit again and again.

To break the cycle:

• Fully feel the emotion
• Interrupt the meaning loop

💨 Emergency Reset: The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique

If your emotions feel overwhelming and you can’t think straight, try this:

• Inhale for 4 seconds
• Hold for 7 seconds
• Exhale slowly for 8 seconds

Repeat 3 times

This activates your parasympathetic nervous system,
shifting your brain into a calm, safe mode.

✨ Ask Yourself: “What Is This Emotion Trying to Tell Me?”

When you feel:

“I’m done.”
“I have no confidence.”

Instead of resisting it, ask:

• What do I really want in this situation?
• What ideal does this emotion reveal a gap with?
• What’s one small step I can take now?

Emotions are just guideposts to the version of you you most want to become.

🧭 The Deep Work: Rewiring Emotional Patterns

You don’t need to “control” emotions.

You need to “rewire” the brain circuits that interpret them.

Emotional Rewiring in 3 Steps:

1. Receive the emotion as a signal
   → Observe it fully and recognize your auto-responses.

2. Decode its meaning
   → Ask: “What does this reveal about what truly matters to me?”

3. Install new meanings and habits
   → Use breathwork, reframing, and small intentional actions.

🌱 5-Step Self-Work: Feel It. See It. Move With It.

💡 Emotions aren’t there to control.

When you feel them, observe them, and move with them — they become allies.

STEP 1: Notice what you’re feeling

In a quiet space, close your eyes and focus on your breath.
Ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now?”
No need to label — just observe.

🌿 Tip: Recognizing without judgment activates the insula and calms the prefrontal cortex.

STEP 2: Where do you feel it in your body?

Is your chest tight?
Stomach heavy?
Throat tense?

🌿 Tip: Translating emotions into body sensations breaks the overthinking loop.

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STEP 3: Visualize it as color or shape

Try expressing it like:

“It’s red, spiky, and swirling…”

🌿 Tip: Giving form to abstract feelings helps organize the brain’s default mode network.

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STEP 4: Sit with it for 90 seconds

Stay present with it — don’t run.
Just observe.

🌿 Tip: Allowing the feeling to pass without judgment quiets the brain’s alarm system.

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STEP 5: What gift did this emotion bring?

• What gap was it showing you?
• What did you really want?
• What’s one small step you can take?

🌿 Tip: This aligns your emotion → meaning → intention → action in a brain-friendly way.

🎯 Emotions Are Growth Alarms

These days, we often hear things like:

“Think positive!”
“Just write your feelings down.”
“Meditate and calm your mind.”

And while helpful, these are temporary fixes.

For real, lasting change,

You need to rewire your emotional circuitry.

🗣 Client Story

🧠 Client A – Female Entrepreneur in Her 30s

“I used to spiral into self-doubt every time a negative emotion came up.
But after learning that emotions are just ‘signals’ from Dr. Yoshi,
I stopped blaming myself and started listening. Now I use my emotions as data — and I feel more grounded, focused, and resilient.”

🌈 A Message from Dr. Yoshi

Emotions are not enemies to suppress or avoid.
They are navigators, gently guiding you toward your true ideals and authentic self.

That’s why, instead of asking,
“Why am I feeling down over something like this?”

try asking,

“What is this emotion trying to teach me?”

Your emotions might just be the light quietly illuminating your path to growth and a better future.

When your emotions are in harmony, you naturally regain control of your life’s direction.

So why not start by simply allowing yourself to feel?

✨This is an invitation—not an obligation.

If reading this made you breathe a little deeper…
or feel a flicker of hope somewhere inside—

That’s a sign your brain is ready for change.

In my coaching, I guide you:

🧠 Identify and release unhelpful thought patterns
🌱 Cultivate emotional flexibility for both peace and inner strength
🌀 Respond with resilience rather than react automatically
💡 Reconnect with your original, wise, powerful, and creative self

If something in these words resonated with you—
feel free to reach out via DM @ kokoroann.usa@gmail.com

Remember, the first step isn’t effort—

it’s giving yourself permission.

🔬 References:

• Lisa Feldman Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
• Jill Bolte Taylor (2009). My Stroke of Insight
• Craig, A. D. (2009). The Anterior Insula and Human Awareness
• Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory