Simple machines run on instant pulses. We run on chemical reactions that linger.

Think about your phone or computer—they operate on clean electrical signals that turn on and off instantly. Flip a switch, and the current flows. Turn it off, and it stops. No lingering effects, no chemical residue.

But we’re not simple machines. We’re incredibly complex bio-electrical systems that use calcium and magnesium channels to generate the electricity that moves our muscles and fires our neurons. The difference? Our electrical signals are created by chemical reactions—and chemical reactions take time to fully resolve.

Here’s what happens when you get triggered, angry, or face danger:

Your body floods with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These chemicals don’t just flip a switch—they create a cascading biochemical response. Your heart races, muscles tense, and your entire system prepares for action. Even after the immediate threat passes, these chemicals are still circulating through your bloodstream.

This is why you can’t just “turn off” strong emotions the way you’d power down a device. The chemical reaction that created your emotional response is still happening in your body, slowly working its way back to homeostasis.

The civilized response often makes it worse. You feel angry or triggered, but you hold it in because it’s the socially appropriate thing to do. You don’t want to disturb others or escalate the situation. But here’s the problem: those stress chemicals are still there, demanding completion of the biological cycle they started.

Your nervous system created that chemical cocktail to get you to safety or help you respond to a threat. But when you suppress the natural response, you’re essentially leaving the engine running. The biochemical process needs to complete itself—those chemicals need to be metabolized and cleared from your system.

This is why you need to “finish the cycle.” Go for a walk. Do some intense exercise. Have a good cry. Punch a pillow. Your body needs to burn through those lingering chemicals and return to its natural state of balance.

Understanding this difference between simple electrical systems and our complex biochemical machinery helps explain why emotional regulation is so challenging. We’re not dealing with on/off switches—we’re working with sophisticated chemical processes that follow their own timeline.

The takeaway? Honor your biology. When you feel strong emotions, remember that there are real chemical reactions happening in your body that need time and space to resolve. Give yourself permission to complete the cycle, even if it means stepping away to process what you’re feeling.

Your body is an incredible bio-electrical machine, but it operates on chemistry, not just electricity. And chemistry takes time.

What strategies do you use to help your body process strong emotions? How do you complete the biochemical cycle when you can’t express what you’re feeling in the moment?