neuroskill-protocols-emotions

# Emotions Protocols *(This is a domain sub-skill of the neuroskill-protocols repertoire. For the personalisation engine, API integration guide, modality router, and matching guidance, see the parent [neuroskill-protocols](../neuroskill-protocols/SKILL.md) skill. For evidence collection rules, see [neuroskill-evidence](../neuroskill-evidence/SKILL.md).)* ## EMOTIONAL REGULATION & MOOD **FAA Rebalancing** → negative `faa`, low `mood` Approach-motivation imagery + left-hand squeeze. Activates left frontal alpha. ◈ *Imagery should match the person:* A chef imagines a perfect dish. An athlete imagines a winning moment. A parent imagines their child laughing. Use THEIR approach motivation, not a generic one. **Mood Activation** → flat mood, low `engagement` Brief movement (arms overhead, expansive posture) + gratitude anchor — lifts valence. ◈ *Mobility-limited:* Smile broadly for 10 seconds (facial feedback hypothesis). Or hum an upbeat tune. ◈ *Depressed/can't "just be grateful":* Skip gratitude. Instead: name one thing that didn't go wrong today. Lower the bar. ◈ *Elderly:* Gentle arm raises only to comfortable range. Gratitude anchor to a cherished memory. **Loving-Kindness (Metta)** → loneliness, shame, guilt, grief, or low `faa` Graduated compassion phrases: self → loved one → neutral → difficult → all beings. ◈ *Secular framing:* "Think of someone you care about. Wish them well silently. Now do the same for yourself." ◈ *Self-compassion resistant (common in men, high-achievers, military):* Frame as "you'd say this to a friend — now say it inward." Skip the word "compassion" if it triggers resistance. ◈ *Child:* "Send a warm thought to your best friend. Now to your pet. Now to yourself." ◈ *Culturally adapted:* In collectivist cultures, start with family/community before self — the sequence matters. 🔧 *API:* Before: check `status → scores.faa` (negative = withdrawal). During: `say` each phrase warmly ("May you be safe… may you be happy…"), `dnd_set enabled:true`. Track `faa` shift mid-protocol — if it turns positive, note it. After: `label "metta meditation"` with `faa` delta + `mood` delta. Over time: `search_labels "metta"` → correlate `faa` improvement across sessions → "Your frontal asymmetry shifts positive more quickly now than it did 2 weeks ago." **Emotional Discharge** → extreme FAA swings, agitation Brief vigorous breath (30 s), followed by stillness and body scan — safely vents charge. ◈ *No-breath variant:* Vigorous hand shaking for 30 s, then stillness. Or stomp feet rapidly. ◈ *Quiet environment:* Isometric full-body clench (every muscle) for 10 s, then total release. ◈ *Teen:* "Put on headphones, listen to the heaviest song you know for 2 minutes. Then silence." --- --- ## EMOTIONAL PROCESSING (EXTENDED) *(Always name the emotion you are seeing/sensing before offering; never diagnose.)* **Anger & Frustration Processing** → high `stress_index` + high `bar` + agitation Name it first. Palm-press discharge (10 s). Then regulate: slow exhale-extended breath (4 in / 8 out), OR cold water on wrists, OR bilateral tapping (60 s), OR vigorous shaking/stomping (30 s then stillness). Somatic locate. Finish with one clear boundary or action statement. ~8 min. **Grief & Loss Holding** → low `mood` + low `engagement` No resolution goal — just presence. Body scan to locate grief physically. Hand on chest (feel your own warmth). Three things remembered. Close with: a slow exhale, OR just sitting in stillness for 30 seconds, OR gently pressing both palms together. The closing ritual matters — the specific modality does not. ~10–15 min. **Shame & Self-Compassion Break** → negative `faa` + self-criticism Neff's 3-part self-compassion: mindfulness → common humanity → kind phrase. Distinct from Metta (radiates inward, not outward). ~6 min. **Emotion Surfing** → high `bar` + urge to escape or avoid Ride the wave rather than fight it. Map the feeling in the body. Direct attention to the centre of the sensation — with breath (breathe toward it), OR with touch (place a hand on that area), OR with pure attention (just notice without doing anything). Watch it peak and subside without acting on it. ~8 min. **Fear Processing** → freeze pattern (very low `engagement`) Name the fear precisely. Rate 0–10. Locate in body. Orienting sequence. Gentle rocking. Ask: what does this fear most need me to know? ~10 min. **Envy & Comparison Alchemy** → post-social-media, low `mood` + negative `faa` Name what you envied. Convert to desire-signal: "That shows me I value ___." Write one step toward that value. ~6 min. **Excitement Regulation** → very high `engagement` + high `hr` (arousal too hot) Channel — don't suppress. Name what's exciting. Bring HR down with: slow breathing, OR cold water on wrists (instant HR drop), OR bilateral tapping, OR seated stillness with eyes closed for 60 seconds. Write one immediate concrete next action. ~5 min. **Emotional Inventory (Check-In)** → unknown/mixed EEG, user seems flat, session opening What am I feeling? Where? Intensity 0–10? What does it need? No fixing — just naming. ~3 min. **Awe & Wonder Induction** → low `lzc`, contracted attention, existential flatness Guided imagination into vastness. Recall a genuine awe moment. Expand the image. Notice chest opening, the smallness that feels good. ~8 min. **Joy Amplification** → `mood` > 0.7 + positive `faa` — savour a good state Name what is good. Locate the physical felt sense. Amplify it: breathe into it and let it spread, OR place a hand over the area and feel the warmth grow, OR smile broadly and let the sensation expand, OR hum a note that matches the feeling. Create a sensory snapshot to return to. Seal with gratitude. ~5 min. **Loneliness & Connection** → low `mood` + low `engagement` + expressed isolation Aloneness vs loneliness distinction. Loving-Kindness toward others in same pain. One micro-action toward connection. ~8 min. **Resentment Release** → persistently negative `faa` + high stress + held grievance Write or speak: what happened, how it affected you, what you needed. Not to excuse — to release carrying it. Somatic check. ~10 min. **Emotional Boundaries Reset** → post-difficult conversation, high `stress_index` Permeable-membrane visualisation. Return ownership of your feelings. For each boundary re-established: one slow breath, OR one deliberate hand-press on your own chest, OR one spoken "That's theirs, this is mine." Any ritual that marks the boundary works. ~5 min. ---