Ep3: Episode 3 - Managing your emotional triggers - a podcast by Raina Jain

First step here is to simply calm down. Simply Pause.Yes, it is very tempting to react especially when we are experiencing physiological changes in our body such as tensed muscles, increased heart rates and increased breathing. It’s okay. We do not have to act simply because we are having an internal reaction. We can pause. Take a deep breath and simply observe the irrational process go away. I know I refer a lot to breathing because I know the power of simply a few deep breaths

It only takes a few seconds to feel pleasant again. You’ll be proud of yourself when you reflect on your response to this situation after pausing and discover that emotional triggers can also be tackled in a very different way.

Secondly, being mindful can allow you to watch yourself every time you have an emotional trigger. So identify what triggers you? A number of experiences can trigger an emotional response. When someone irritates you, someone makes you angry, it could be the fear of rejection, or when someone leaves you, or when you are not in control or when someone else is trying to control you, when someone disapproves of you, someone disagreeing with you or when someone judges you.

Thirdly, become aware of any situation that triggers your emotions.

Notice any situational or social triggers. Note down any situation where you’ve felt uncomfortable, or where your emotions were triggered. Also, note down the environment, the people you were with, and what was happening around you. If you find yourself being triggered in a similar situation more than once, you will now be able to manage your response in that situation in a much better way than earlier. And that’s the power of awareness.

The moment you become aware of all the factors that trigger your emotions, the better you will be able to make the essential changes needed to manage your triggers well.

And lastly, replace all the negative thoughts about that trigger. It’s very natural to blame someone else for how we feel. If we are simply functioning from a space where we constantly blame the external factors for what happens to us, that’s a warning you need to take charge over your emotions.

Think of that one trigger that you have the least control over and begin to slowly reprogram your mind by engaging into self-talk and by creating healthy emotional boundaries for yourself. Every time you have a negative thought about that situation ‘Tell yourself – this is not the reality’, what’s true is that ‘I am in control of my emotions’ and ‘I take charge of how I feel’ rather than giving someone else the power to trigger your emotions. Substitute every negative thought with a positive frame of mind. Simply by changing the tone of your thoughts, you can experience a positive outlook towards your life.

You can also make use of ‘thought diaries’. Thought diaries will allow you to journal all those negative thoughts that are controlling you and making you believe into something that is not true. It will help you identify your negative thought pattern, where these thoughts are stemming from, and help you gain an understanding on how your thoughts cause your emotions to trigger.

If you sit and do this activity every time you have an emotional trigger, you will experience a sudden shift in the way you experience your emotions.



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Music from https://filmmusic.io

"Pamgaea" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)



"Deliberate Thought" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)

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