Actress Sanaa Lathan is opening up about one of her favorite tools for handling life’s emotional ups and downs — the Letting Go Technique.
In a heartfelt Instagram post and video, the Love & Basketball star reminded her followers that while emotions can feel overwhelming, there are healthy ways to process them without numbing or suppressing them.
A 90-Second Reset
“Overwhelmed by emotions? Try this quick reset,” Lathan wrote in her caption, referencing neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s insight that emotions only last about 90 seconds.
After that, she explained, it’s our choice whether we stay stuck in the emotional loop or let it pass.
For those wanting to explore further, she recommended Letting Go by David Hawkins and The Sedona Method by Hale Dwoskin, both of which outline similar approaches to emotional release.
Riding the Wave of Emotion
In her video, Lathan broke down the practice step by step, describing how she uses breathing techniques to center herself before turning inward. She encouraged viewers to locate where they feel an emotion in their body — whether it’s anger in the solar plexus or sadness as a lump in the throat — and then surrender to the sensation.
“What you’ll find,” she explained, “is that the emotion will probably swell. This is a good thing.” She added that feelings often shift — anger may turn into grief, sadness may give way to tears — and the key is not to resist but to ride the wave until it fades.
Breaking the Cycle of Numbing
The actress also touched on the unhealthy ways many people try to avoid emotions, such as endless scrolling on social media, binge-watching TV, drinking, overeating, or using substances. Instead, she urged her followers to see emotions not as threats but as temporary experiences that can be processed and released.
“It’s as simple as surrendering into the motion and riding the wave until it swells and then fades,” Lathan said. “It’s really powerful and just a healthy way of taking care of yourself.”
With her post, Lathan joins a growing conversation around mental health, mindfulness, and emotional resilience, reminding fans that taking care of the mind is just as important as taking care of the body.
