Editing, Teenagers, and a 90-Second Brain Hack - Mental Tip 13 - Get my BEST updates delivered to your inbox.

Editing, Teenagers, and a 90-Second Brain Hack - Mental Tip 13

Jun 06, 2025 10:26 pm

Hi friends,

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Things are moving fast around here. Imperial Chaos (Shieldwall Academy Book #5) is nearly through editing, and I’m elbow-deep in final cleanups between hauling kids to art camps, playdates, and activities. Our house has officially entered the snack-strewn, sunscreen-smelling season of chaos.

And speaking of chaos, I’m trying to pry my teenage son away from his computer long enough to apply for a summer job. I remember first jobs being all over the place when I was a teen, but now? Ghost town. Where did the entry-level work go?

Let me know if you have current tips to help him find some work.

Anyway, I’m hoping to wrap up final edits on soon, and I can’t wait for you to read Book #5 when it hits in October! If you haven’t started the series yet, now’s a great time to dive in with four chunky, twisty, mage-packed books already out.

Shieldwall Academy Series on Amazon!

Click on some of my supporters here and then scroll down for a 90-second mental health hack!

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Mental Health Hack of the Week: The 90-Second Reset

Here’s a strange but fascinating trick that psychologists and neuroscientists swear by:

When a big emotion hits like anger, fear, or anxiety, your brain only needs about 90 seconds to fully process the chemical surge. After that, you’re the one keeping it going by replaying the story or feeding the emotion.

How does that help you?

Try these steps, next time you feel overwhelmed:

Pause.
Notice the emotion, but don’t engage it or try to remove it.
Let it exist along with everything associated with it.
Set a 90-second timer.
Breathe. Watch it pass.

That’s it.

You don’t have to fix the situation right away. You don’t even have to understand what you’re feeling in the moment. Just give your brain the space to cool down.

See how you feel after giving it a minute and half to exist and then fade away.

You might be surprised at how often 90 seconds is all it takes.

Take care of your brain, and be kind to it. It’s doing a lot more than you think.