The world’s largest free audio library for everyday wellbeing
Real people. Real life. Real time.
Retreat categories
All RetreatsYoga RetreatsWellness RetreatsMeditation RetreatsYoga Teacher TrainingWomen's RetreatsYoga Retreats in BaliYoga Retreats in United KingdomYoga Retreats in AustraliaYoga Retreats in ItalyFind Your Perfect Retreat
Discover transformative Retreats led by Insight Timer's best teachers.Reconnect, recharge, and return renewed.
The world’s largest free audio library for everyday wellbeing
Blog categories
Mental Health and WellbeingTips and GuidesScience and ResearchTraditionSpiritualityAt WorkTop Articles
How to Meditate
Meditation is something everyone can do. Practicing can help improve your health and wellbeing.
Explore MeditationMeditation Timer
Free meditation timer with customizable intervals, bells, and ambient sounds.
Meditation Timer Online
COURSE
Turning Emotional Reactions Into Mindful Responses
With Courtney Johannesen
Emotional reactions can happen when external events trigger strong emotions that change your perception of a situation and cause you to act impulsively. You might lash out, say something hurtful, get angry quickly, or do something you regret. This could involve outbursts, losing your temper, taking things personally, or acting before you can think clearly. You might feel powerless, as if you have little control over what you say and do because your stress and emotions have taken over. Reacting based on your emotions can affect how you think about yourself, your stress responses, and your relationships with others. It might be hard to have comfortable and safe relationships. The intensity and vulnerability of your emotions can make you feel self-conscious. You might feel ashamed of your actions or trapped in the cycles of your triggers and reactions. This course will help you understand how to create more mindful responses that come from conscious awareness. You’ll learn how to break free from reactivity patterns, regain control of your self and relationships, and cultivate greater connection, trust, and authenticity through making intentional choices. You will build your emotional regulation skills, feel more connected with yourself and others, and honor and respect boundaries in your relationships. The step-by-step processes will help you relate differently to your triggers and emotions, as well as choose and create mindful responses. Each lesson includes a journal prompt to begin integrating this awareness into your life. This course is intended for all levels of awareness and practice. Those who have experienced adverse emotional events, past trauma, or major life transitions may especially benefit. This course is not intended as therapy or treatment from a mental health professional. This course is designed as a mindful exploration of your emotional patterns and responses to support you in making conscious and empowered choices about how you respond. Shifting emotional reactions into mindful responses is a skill that can be learned and practiced to support you in feeling clear, calm, and centered, both within yourself and as you engage with others.
Meet your Teacher
read more
7 Days
3.5k students
4.8 stars
14 min / day
Connection
English
4.8 (90)
Recent Reviews
Jose
July 17, 2025
Truly helpful and well explained.
David
May 3, 2025
Very helpful
Shanna
April 5, 2025
This is a life changing course . I will be adding these tools to my spiritual toolbox🙌🏽
Judy
January 1, 2025
This course has been so helpful. I have always bottled up my emotions, primarily anger, until I explode. I really do not like being this way. The course is helping me learn how to respond in a calm, kind and confident manner. Being able to respond in a mindful way is helping me feel much better about myself and my relationships.
Jason
September 11, 2024
Good content. Somewhat hard to follow day to day as some built on previous days w/out elaboration/ reminder on what was said. Take notes each day to review.
mark
August 13, 2024
One of the better courses on this topic. Thanks
Amelie
March 9, 2024
Great course. Thank you for your guidance!
Shawn
November 15, 2023
My thoughts are, this is very common sense if we could get out of our emotional body, and respond instead of react! It is hard sometimes as our thoughts dictate our emotions! I have to remind myself daily that I am enough and to trust myself with all the love I can muster ❤️🙏🏼
Nancy
October 25, 2023
A great course. I plan to put this into practice today!!
Larry
October 16, 2023
Great to be reminded that in nearly every situation there is time to pause and breathe It just takes practice Thanks!
Christina
October 14, 2023
So good! Exactly what I needed.
Sofia
September 26, 2023
Wonderful course
Julia
September 26, 2023
Powerful. I love the cadence, voice, thoughtfulness. I so hope you will do more series. I plan to do this one again and again. In gratitude.
Marissa
September 22, 2023
Very helpful
Amy
September 1, 2023
Exceptionally helpful.Thank you.x
John
August 29, 2023
This has been a very good series to provide insight in how to switch off abrupt reactions into appropriate responses. Contrasting how different the emotions and body feelings result from more mindful responses versus the often harsh reactions effects can really aid in transforming my behavior when challenges occur. Thinking about the kinder and friendlier interactions with others that will result from my more appropriate and kinder initial response — helps to discourage my abrupt reactions.
Sarah
July 21, 2023
Very good lessons I have a lot more in my arsenal now. Thank you
Jennifer
July 17, 2023
This is such an important course that everyone should take! We all struggle with reactivity from time to time. Recognizing triggers and learning how to sooth our self, be in touch with our feelings and make affective choices in our responses is essential to getting what we need and peace of mind. Because of this course I feel better prepared to interact with the world from a place of calm assertiveness.
Kim
July 14, 2023
I’m excited start the seven lessons over again tonight. Like a yoga pose, I need a second set to go deeper. Thank you Courtney for sharing one your practices at a time that I needed it the most. I had just decided to upgrade to Insight Timer’s yearly membership and your 7 day workshop on Turning Reactions into Mindful Responses was the first one that caught my eye.
More from Courtney Johannesen
Trusted by 35 million people. It's free.
Get the app
