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What Are Emotional Triggers?
Emotional triggers are anything someone or something says or does to you that triggers an emotional response.
We often start to blame the person or the event for our emotions and see it as something negative or ‘bad’.
But emotional triggers are a really good way to help you heal yourself.
The reason for that is, that the triggers do not as much say something about the person or the event responsible for the trigger, but show us which parts of ourselves need attention and healing.
So, every time something triggers you, be grateful.
Because now you’ve revealed an area that still needs work inside you which otherwise might have not been revealed.
Why Do We Get Triggered?
Triggers happen because the event triggered suppressed emotions or because the event is not in accordance with a belief system we have.
Many destructive belief systems and suppressed emotions are hidden deep in the subconscious.
So deep in fact that we generally don’t know about them nor have access to them.
When, for example, someone then says something that triggers suppressed anger, this anger comes up and we think that this person is responsible for making us angry.
What happens, however, is that our readiness to react with anger depends on how much anger is already present within ourselves to be triggered.
The more anger we have inside, the more our perception of the world is one of frustration and upsets.
So, we basically have emotional wounds and belief systems about ourselves and if anything happens that opens those emotional wounds or challenges our belief systems we are triggered.
Most of the time we then react with a defense mechanism in the pursuit to protect our self-image. That is if we are unconscious about this whole process.
How to Use Emotional Triggers
The first thing to do is to become aware of what triggers you and then shine the light of awareness on it.
You can start by thinking of past events where you had a strong emotional response as a result of someone insulting you, or someone saying something that in your view is completely wrong.
Then you can ask yourself what emotions were triggered and why.
Did you maybe suppress your anger and grief in the past because you thought it’s inappropriate to have those feelings?
Especially men can have a lot of pent-up sadness and grief because society tells men that showing sadness is a sign of weakness.
However, I think, that the complete opposite is true, allowing sorrow and sadness is a sign of strength.
Allowing yourself to feel your emotions will prevent a lot of future suffering in the form of emotional outbursts, psychological problems, and even physical ailments.
If we, for example, always suppress guilt, this guilt might manifest itself on the level of the body.
Because in our mind guilt implies punishment, unprocessed guilt will often punish us through disease, accidents, and various forms of physical pain and disturbances.
The problem however is that it is sometimes hard or even impossible to reveal our suppressed emotions and destructive beliefs through memory and thinking alone.
That’s why it’s important to be aware in your daily life. Through awareness, we can recognize emotional triggers and subsequent emotions as soon as they arise.
Instead of immediately reacting to that trigger, stop, and be aware of your emotions. Do not try to fight those emotions but accept them.
The only way to process and let go of emotions and beliefs is by accepting them. This is because we can only change and let go of what is real to us.
By not accepting something we are denying its reality. Therefore, we are denying ourselves the possibility of processing this emotion.
How to Trigger Ourselves
Some of us might not be triggered as much as others. Some reasons for that may be that we are not socializing a lot, we are in a supportive environment, or we are already processing our emotions effectively.
Regardless, we probably have limiting belief systems that are hiding in the depths of our subconscious.
One technique I found to be very helpful is to imagine your perfect self and your perfect life in all areas and then observe the resistances that come up.
These resistances can show themselves in the forms of ‘buts’ or ‘ifs’ or ‘cants’. When those resistances come up, just feel the emotions associated with those resistances and let them be there.
Again, don’t try to fight them, don’t try to change them. In due time the energy behind those emotions will run out. Repeat this process and eventually, you will have let go.
It’s like opening a vent and slowly releasing the pressure.
Why Emotional Triggers Are So Effective
Emotional Triggers are so effective because they are part of our daily life.
While going about our daily business, events trigger us. There is usually nothing we have to do, it just happens as a result of participating in life.
Furthermore, this means that all we have to do is be aware of our experiences and the subsequent reactions.
Because this technique can be incorporated into daily life, there is nothing we have to learn.
The only thing we do differently is that we don’t operate on autopilot anymore. We are mindful of our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.
And by being mindful of them, we can accept them, and let them go easier instead of being governed by those thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.
By letting go of the thoughts, emotions, and beliefs that don’t serve our highest potential we are also removing the blocks to our potential as creators of our own life and reality.
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“Repressed and suppressed feelings require counter-energy to keep them submerged. It takes energy to hold down our feelings. As these feelings are relinquished, the energy that had been holding down the negativity is now freed for constructive uses.” – Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender
Luka
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