Do you get triggered?

Of course you do!!! We all do!  You know how it goes...you are in an argument, or in a conversation on a topic of great importance to you, or you see something on social media and then BAM!  You feel angry, jealous, rejected, sad....the list goes on.  The question becomes, what is the healthiest way to move through a trigger when it rears its head?  

This is what I call the "Trigger Cycle Framework" and you can apply it each time you feel you are in a triggered state:

1. Sense the trigger

2. Take space

Take a deep breath, take space to feel and remind yourself this isn’t you, this is just something you are experiencing

3. Be curious

What is unresolved within me that caused me to be triggered?

4. Compassion

Recognize the inner child or your inner self and what needs or wounds of yours were triggered. Remind yourself, I am here to grow; transformational people and situations are in my lives as teachers.

5. Take Action

‍How can I console myself?  How can I heal?  How can I learn from this while I am still in the trigger cycle?

6. Stay Committed

What I mean by that is stay committed to the entire trigger cycle – rather than numbing through substances or distractions, tell yourself, let’s do this!

Just remember - a trigger is simply an invitation to learn more about yourself!  But the learning will only be there if you stop blaming someone else for it, and reflect upon what the teachable moment might be for you on a deeper level!