How to deal with being triggered?

When we are triggered, our physical and mental state changes. The physical effects of being triggered come from your nervous system’s response.

Don’t judge yourself

When your inner critic starts putting you down because you’ve been triggered and it feels impossible to ignore–that voice makes it worse. There is a reason why your mind and body react this way, and that experience is real. Ignoring it will not resolve it.

Calm Your Inner Critic

Accept the presence of your inner critic and don’t fight it. When you fight it, it will get louder. Calm it by telling yourself that your physical experience and reaction is real, and needs to be addressed in order to heal. Appreciate yourself for taking your healing seriously.

This allows you to start calming your nervous system.

Calming Your Nervous System (Breathing, Movement, and Body Posture)

When triggered, your body will become tensed up, and you’ll breath more into your chest–shallow breathing. To undo this, start with deep belly breathing. Let that stored energy flow through your body; it might help to just walk around for a bit. You can tell your body that there is no threat by changing your posture to one of vulnerability, like child’s pose in yoga. Close your eyes, relax your shoulders, and your body will start to calm down.

This allows you to restore inner balance and move back into a state where you can embody your authentic self in the current situation, rather than react from a place of old conditioning.

Over time, this practice will create space for you to observe yourself– and that will support the journey of healing from the actual source of the triggers.