Yes, you CAN control your emotions — with these techniques | Arthur Brooks

“Say what you want to say, and not what you feel.” Harvard happiness professor explains ‘metacognition’ techniques so you can grow your emotional intelligence. ❍ Subscribe to The Well on YouTube: ❍ Up next: There is a formula for happiness — but it’s highly misunderstood | You’ve heard of cognition. Now, here’s metacognition: the act of thinking about thinking. Arthur Brooks, author and public speaker, explains how metacognition helps us reflect on our emotional life, allowing our prefrontal cortex to evaluate signals from the limbic system. For instance, telling children to “use their words“ instead of screaming encourages them to engage their prefrontal cortex. The same applies to adults: interrogate your emotions before reacting, and you might just become a more emotionally healthy person. According to Brooks, this is a skill that can be developed over time, so if you’re new to the idea of consciously regulating your own emotions, it’s not too late. He stresses that negative emotions - though unenjoyable - are entirely normal and are even representative of a healthy brain. What matters is how we engage with these negative emotions and what lessons we take away from the experiences they give us. Metacognition is a skill that requires patience and self-kindness. With enough practice and effort, we all can learn to master this ability and enhance our own happiness, as well as the happiness of those around us. Read the full video transcript: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ❍ About The Well ❍ Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds. So what do they think? How is the power of science advancing understanding? How are philosophers and theologians tackling these fascinating questions? Let’s dive into The Well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join The Well on your favorite platforms: ❍ Facebook: ❍ Instagram: