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the science of relationships

How emotions cause us to "flip our lids!"

We have many wonderful scientists like Dr. Dan Siegel to thank for providing us with scientific explanations for how our brains work, and why people do what they do.  Brain science is not just changing how we teach; its opening up a huge door to addressing challenging behaviors more compassionately and productively.


Adults as well as children can be triggered by a frustrating or threatening situation.  At that moment, the amygdala (the "downstairs" of primal part of the brain) takes over to protect us as the emotion escalate.  It literally becomes disengaged from the prefrontal cortex (upstairs or decision- making  part of our brain). Thus, the amygdala (downstairs brain) cannot receive information from the  upstairs brain to assist in making a thoughtful choice.  


Dan Siegel calls this “flipping our lid.” Until we calm our mind, the upstairs  brain is unable to message the downstairs  brain, so we literally react without thinking, so we often choose  to fight, flee or freeze.  Dan  likes to tell kids, "your upstairs brain is offline. " He recommends using simple mindful practices when we notice we have been triggered, in order to calm the mind and create some space between the stimulus and our response.  We are then more likely to respond instead of react.  Sharing this biological cause for strong emotions and reactions with adults and students encourages us all to learn techniques for calming our minds, so we can "connect before we redirect." (Siegel, 2014).


The brain's role in causing us to react or respond to emotional triggers is easy to explain to both young children and adolescents.  Visit Rearch Expert Videos to watch Dan Siegel and Jeanette Yoffee talk about "Flipping our Lids."

Learn More

What's the difference between Emotions & Feelings?


Emotions are responses in the amygdala and prefrontal cortices of the brain.  They precede feelings and create biochemical reactions in your body.  Emotions can be measured by blood flow, brain activity, facial expressions, and body language.


Feelings originate in the neocortical regions of the brain,  are mental associations and reactions to emotions, influenced by your experience, beliefs, and memories. A feeling is a mental portrayal of what is going on in your body when you have an emotion.  Feelings  involve cognitive input, usually subconscious, and cannot be measured precisely (Suskin, 2015).

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The link below will take you to the Resources Page  where you will find recommended books and featured videos by Dan Siegel.

Dan Siegel Resources

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  • Home
  • Services
  • Road Map
  • Staff Communication
  • SEL Skills for Students
  • 4 Communication Steps
  • Theories of Practice
  • Collaborative Solutions
  • Building Buy-In
  • INSIDE SEL PROGRAMS
  • Recommended Resources
  • Joan's Blog
  • Videos: Student Experts
  • Videos: Research Experts
  • Videos: School Leaders
  • PDFS Collaborative Sol.
  • PDFS Inter Neurobiology
  • The Science
  • Invitational Education
  • eBooks