Neuroscience Behind Hot-Headed E-Mails Supports Using BrainWise

Posted On: May 6, 2015

hot headed at computerThe Wall Street Journal reports that research conducted by Duke psychiatrist Murali Doraiswam explains why it is easy for people to send off angry emails.  By scanning people’s brains when they are making decisions, he found that when our emotions get aroused – by excitement, stress, love, anger, and these “hot cognitions” trigger the emotionally driven limbic system and amygdala.  http://blogs.wsj.com/experts/2015/03/23/the-neuroscience-behind-hot-headed-emails/?mod=WSJ_article_EditorsPicks_3#&mod=wsj_valettop_email

As a BrainWise practitioner, you will recognize this and understand why it happening!  You also know what to do to prevent the incidents.  Dr. Doraiswam suggests that to avoid these incidences, simply being aware that you are getting “fired up” – or, in BrainWise terms, recognize your internal and external red flag warnings.  To help you calm down (or lower your Emotions Elevator), he suggests using meditation and getting support from a friend.

You have these skills, and even more, at your disposal.  You understand how your five senses trigger your emotions to react impulsively, and that building neural connections to your Wizard Brain (prefrontal cortex), you learn how to stop, think and control your behaviors. When you stay off of your Emotions Elevator, you can quickly assess the problem, identify your choices, consider the consequences and communicate effectively.  And this is why hot-headed emails are not a problem for BrainWise users.

Please follow and like us:

BrainWise Problem Solving Worksheet Helps Students Practice Executive Functions

Difficult school experiences can quickly erode students’ curiosity and interest in learning. When they fear failure, their Lizard Brain takes over—triggering anxiety, confusion, shame, and discouragement. Students rarely say, “I’m afraid I’ll fail.” Instead, they send red flags: avoiding contact, acting out, skipping classes, or eventually dropping out. Across decades of research addressing this problem, […]

Read More »

Navajo Youth Project: Teaching BrainWise and Technology at Window Rock High

Technology leaders and software engineers identify communication as the strongest predictor of software project success.  Studies show that communication breakdowns—not coding errors—cause most IT project failures, reworked cycles, and misaligned expectations. Senior engineers agree communication is the most important survival skill in tech because it requires using multiple cognitive processes at once: clarifying goals, analyzing tradeoffs, […]

Read More »

BrainWise + Community Service: A Double Dose of Doing Good

What happens when a simple idea —“teach thinking by doing”—is put into practice for 20 straight years? BrainWise has long championed community service as a powerful way to reinforce the 10 Wise Ways, giving youth a “double dose” of critical‑thinking practice that strengthens their skills while benefiting the people they serve. Past newsletters have highlighted […]

Read More »