How to deal with emotional triggers? Expert offers insights

The way we react to emotional triggers is very important in preventing us from regretting later. Here are a few steps which you can follow to regulate your response.

Emotional triggers can be scary. When we deal with people or are emotionally connected to them, some of their actions and words can lead to emotional triggers for us. This further leads to an ugly response or reaction of shouting, screaming, crying and something that may make us regret our decisions later. Emotional triggers and the way they affect us cannot be controlled, but how we choose to respond to it, can be regulated. Walking ourselves through self-love and reminding ourselves that no matter what, we are there for ourselves can help us get through emotional triggers without actions that can cause repentance later.

Psychologist Nicole LePera addressed the issue of emotional triggers and how we should react to it in order to keep ourselves stable, in her latest Instagram post. Nicole wrote that we often respond to emotional triggers through a way that includes trauma response. The body and the mind are alerted that they are going through a life and death situation and hence they respond accordingly. Body reacts to this situation through heart racing, quick thoughts, quick breathing, intense emotions and many more. Hence, we behave in a certain way. Read her post here:

Nicole further laid down the steps that can be taken up in order to regulate the ways we can respond to emotional triggers:

Observe the sensations - Our mind and body go through a fight or flight situation. It is important to observe these sensations and breathe through it, before reacting to the situation to have a more controlled reaction.

Stay conscious – We often let the autopilot mode of our brain take over. It is important to stay conscious and pause and reflect before responding.

Learn to watch the emotions – We should learn to observe the emotions and the way they come and go – it will help us to have control and confidence on our own reactions.

Avoid regrets – Pausing before reacting to the situation prevents future shame. Shame comes from the way we have reacted to emotional triggers. It is best to reflect and breathe through the response.

Release the energy – When we are emotionally triggered, we get a lot of pent-up energy. It’s best to release the energy – take a walk, breathe in and out deep, cry through it.

Remind yourself that you are not in threat – Soothe yourself, remind yourself that you are there for yourself.