Today I’m musing about triggers. What exactly is a trigger? And I’m not referring to Roy Roger’s horse.
My experience has been that when a relatively insignificant something happens during a regular routine, the reaction to that event far outweighs what might be considered an acceptable response. This is due to the resurfacing of a past event that got triggered. More often than not, we are not consciously aware of the past event. But when it shows up, watch out!
As you might imagine or even have experienced, that response is not a whole lot of fun for anyone, and really tears a hole in the fabric of the moment. How can we not do that?
Be aware that you got triggered, that there is a trigger. Pay attention to what was going on with you when that past event took over. Once we take note of that, we will learn to notice when a trigger is about to get pulled. You can take a breath. And/or Remove yourself from the situation to calm down. Write about your experience in a journal. That helps to understand it. Do a quick exercise. Something physical. Whatever works for you to find your center, to get back to your peace.
During this holiday season, with the families, parties, the extra stresses, the expectations piled on top of everything else going on, there are many opportunities to experience triggers. Be conscious of the situation you’re going into and be aware of what’s going on around you and within you. If you get triggered and you aren’t pleased with the way you responded, it’s ok. Go easy on yourself! Accept that it happened and that you are becoming aware of the triggers so it won’t happen again.
I like the idea of not letting events of the past mess with the purity and the peace of this moment. After a while, all your moments of now will be just that. Pure, present moments unencumbered by past events. And that, in my opinion, is a beautiful and peaceful thing.
Just sayin’