Are You Triggered?

Feeling triggered by all your emotions? First, we need to recognize that there are no bad emotions.

Written by Emmalou Penrod

Here are three steps you can take in advance and three tools you can use in the moment.

First, we need to recognize that there are no bad emotions. Our emotions can serve us.

For example, anger motivates us to take action. Sadness can help us understand ourselves better. Insecurity can cause us to look for ways to improve. Fear can quicken our senses and even save our life in cases of physical danger. The key is to use our emotions, rather than letting our emotions use us.

Identify Your Triggers

We know what our triggers are, those events that cause an automatic emotional response. It could be when your child leaves his toys all over the living room floor. Maybe it’s a driver pulling too close in front of you on the freeway, a coworker on your team not carrying his share of the load, seeing your spouse’s dirty clothes on the bathroom floor. Or maybe it’s hearing a song or smelling a fragrance that reminds you of a lost love. It could be the annual review that always leaves you feeling worthless, or the crash of thunder that sends you into a mindless panic.

It doesn’t matter what the emotion is or what the initiating event is. We know those times we are most vulnerable. Not sure?

Tired of being hijacked by your emotions?

Make a list of all the times in the past month when your emotions interfered with reaching your goals. You were determined to remain calm and composed but somehow you lost control.

What happened just before that?

Did your response reflect a pattern?

Take some time to identify your triggers. Anticipate the situations that are most challenging for you. If your desire is to be patient, identify the things that make you feel most impatient. If your goal is to be confident, what events shake that confidence?

Want to be calm and level-headed at work?

What disturbs you?

Rather than let something outside of your control derail you, be prepared with something you can control. You can’t control whether your child chooses to leave toys all over the house, but you can control how you choose to respond. You could let them know that toys left out will be put away to be earned back by completing chores. You could tell your child that dinner will be served when all of the toys are put away.

If you are still triggered.. please reach out to Emmalou for some additional help

Emmalou Penrod is a wife, mother, grandmother, retired schoolteacher, author, and owner of the business she works with “Healing Families.” She wrote the book, Navigating the Educational System, 5 Strategies to Get the Best for Your Child and started a podcast show, “In Support of Families” to provide useful information and support for parents. Reach out to her emmalou@healingyourfamilies.com Website: https://Insupportoffamilies.