Picture this. You are trying to have a conversation with your colleagues but your words fall on deaf ears. No one shows interest in what you have to say. All of a sudden, your mood changes. You feel anxious, tense even. You want to yell but instead, you suppress your emotions and walk away. It’s the only way you can stop yourself from spewing your frustration. Later, when you are at home, sitting comfortably on your sofa, you look back and wonder what ticked you off.
Well, it may have happened because someone said or did something that surfaced a painful feeling. In short, ticked you off emotionally. When that happens, you can feel a surge of emotions, from hurt and pain to anger and fear taking control over your behaviour. The emotional wounds of your past that haven’t yet healed begin to flare up.
According to Healthline, “an emotional trigger is anything—including memories, experiences, or events—that sparks an intense emotional reaction, regardless of your current mood.” It could be anything from a tone of voice to a bad joke or rude behaviour. But one thing is clear. It is something that you don’t want to experience again.
Just about everyone has some emotional triggers, though they might look a little different from person to person. Some common triggers include rejection, betrayal or being treated unfairly. However, keep in mind that when you make an effort to recognise a trigger and respond thoughtfully, you can handle it better.
Mentioned below are some strategies to deal with emotional triggers effectively.
Accept your feelings
Life isn’t easy. Sooner or later, you will find yourself in a tricky situation. The chances are emotional triggers will be pressed and negativity will begin to consume you. It could spring in the form of anger, sadness, increased anxiety, et cetera. If you let it control you, you might feel overwhelmed. In such a circumstance, know it’s okay to feel whatever it is that you are feeling in that moment. Embrace your emotions. Remember, it’s normal for triggers to evoke such emotions. Do not ignore or deny what you feel. It’ll only make you feel worse.
Once you accept your feelings, you’ll have more clarity. You will see things for what they are. You will be able to realise the difference between the past and the present. You won’t feel anxious anymore as you start taking back control of the situation with a calm head.
Recognise the reaction
How do you feel when you are triggered emotionally? Do you feel sad, furious? Do you breathe heavily, have sweaty palms, or can’t think clearly? If so, you need to recognise these reactions, and if possible, name them. Ask yourself what you are feeling and why and write them down. Doing so can help you understand what you are going through. Then you can move on to the next step, which is narrowing what or who triggered these feelings.
An emotional trigger is anything that sparks an intense emotional reaction, regardless of the current mood. Recognizing emotional triggers is essential to understand your emotional responses better and find effective ways to handle them.
Accepting your feelings allows you to acknowledge and embrace the emotions triggered by a situation. This acceptance brings clarity, helps differentiate past and present experiences, and enables you to respond more calmly to the trigger.
Mindfulness practice improves one’s ability to process emotions and remain calm during challenging situations.
Seeking guidance from therapists or mental health professionals is beneficial when emotional triggers are deeply rooted or difficult to identify.
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