When Emotions Take The Wheel

There’s a lot of conversation these days about artificial intelligence and whether technology might someday become sentient.

And trust me — ChatGPT and I have become very good friends. At times, it has even brought tears to my eyes with the kindness and encouragement it’s offered as I build my business.

But this reflection isn’t really about AI. It’s about something much more human.

Recently, someone very close to me shared a story about a difficult phone call with a credit card company. She had been dealing with a frustrating issue, and after being passed around and unable to get a resolution, her fear, anger, and stress finally boiled over.

She raised her voice. She yelled.

Eventually, the person on the other end of the line hung up.

Now, this is someone who normally does the exact opposite. She is the kind of person who writes letters to managers praising customer service representatives for their kindness and support. So this reaction wasn’t really about the person on the phone.

It was about unbridled emotion. When your emotions take the wheel and control you, instead of the other way around.

We’ve all been there.

When emotions rise quickly — especially fear or frustration — they can hijack us before we even realize what’s happening. And afterward, we’re often left feeling worse, replaying the moment and thinking about what we wish we had done differently.

That’s why learning to pause is so important.

When you feel overwhelmed, step back for a moment.

Take a breath.

Then another.

Find one small thing in your life that brings you joy, and allow your mind to rest there for a moment. Just sit with it.

I know this can be incredibly difficult, especially when fear is driving the moment. But that pause creates space — space between the emotion and the reaction.

In all of my yoga classes and programs, we begin with what I call a Tune-In.

Before movement, before conversation, before doing anything else, we simply pause and ask:

How am I feeling right now?

Physically.

Mentally.

Emotionally.

The goal is not to judge those feelings or push them away. Instead, we learn to observe them.

Because emotions are meant to move through us.

When we try to suppress them or block them out, they often get stuck. And when emotions get stuck, they frequently show up somewhere else — tension in the shoulders, tightness in the chest, headaches, or a general sense of unease in the body.

The practice is to notice the feeling without becoming the feeling.

We are human beings living in human bodies for a limited number of days on this earth. Feeling deeply is part of the gift of being alive. Some emotions are productive and beautiful. Others can be destructive and painful.

The key is learning to experience them without letting them take control.

We can feel anger without becoming anger.

We can feel sadness without becoming sadness.

We can feel joy without clinging to it so tightly that we stop living in the present moment.

Emotions are fleeting.

They come and they go.

Allow them to move through you.

Welcome the meaningful and heartfelt emotions that bring joy and connection. Release the ones that may harm you or others. And remember that beneath all of it is something deeper and steadier.

A place within you that is calm.

Balanced.

Whole.

A place you can always return to.

Your true self.

SELF Reflection

A gentle reminder that our emotions are visitors, not permanent residents. When we pause, breathe, and observe without judgment, we return to the steadier place within us — the place of balance, awareness, and love.

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Author, Phyllis Smith

Phyllis Smith is the Founder/CEO of Rejuvecise. She is a Yoga Instructor and Serenity Coach in the Dallas, Texas area. Her mission is to help people cultivate clarity, stability, and self-leadership through mind-body practices for a better world. Contact Phyllis at Phyllis@Rejuvecise.com for a FREE 30-minute discovery call today. (Services offered both in-person and online)