Your triggers are your teachers

All kinds of things can trigger a strong emotion for us - one of sadness, anger, or pain. Some triggers are more intense and louder than others, some may just really irk us for a few hours until we quietly and naturally let them go. Triggers can be found everywhere, but they are also an opportunity for us to dive deeper. To gain perspective on hidden stories, patterns from our past that we've been carrying in our physical and emotional bodies. When I'm triggered, I work through a process to unfurl some of the layers that are at play. It may not be immediate, but at some point, I usually find myself sitting with my journal, keen to shift out of the uncomfortable feelings the trigger has stirred up in me. For instance, if I'm feeling a strong emotion as a result of a text message, I ask myself the following:

- What is that emotion? Is it rejection? Sadness? Anger?

- Has this message poked at an old belief I hold about myself... a story of unworthiness and not-enoughness?

- When is the earliest time I remember feeling this particular flavour of feeling?

Journalling is an impactful way to initially dive deeper into the root of our triggers, and then based on what comes out on the page, I love to use EFT Tapping to unfurl the layers even further. To clear the emotions, to work through old events and old stories. To re-program my reactions and smooth down my rough emotional edges. Tapping on triggers does a few things; • It brings perspective and allows us to see the whole picture, unclouded by our own story. • It removes the emotional charge so that we can react with a level-head. • It allows us to re-write the pattern, so that next time we aren't triggered. Next time we can move through adversity with peace, patience, and inner strength. I encourage you to give this a go the next time you feel that flush of emotion or reaction and just see what happens.

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