"From Response to Reaction: The Automated Nature of Triggers"

Author: Bianca Moeschinger & Gillian Maddigan

August 2024

Triggers are a fascinating aspect of human behaviour. They represent the body’s and mind’s ability to react automatically to specific stimuli based on past experiences. They highlight an essential part of our psychological automation process. Understanding how triggers are formed and how to manage them can greatly enhance our emotional resilience and interpersonal relationships.

The Process of Trigger Formation

Triggers are formed through a three-step process:

1. Identify a Problem: We encounter situations that provoke discomfort or distress.
2. Create a Solution: We develop coping mechanisms to mitigate that discomfort.
3. Automate the Response: As the solution proves effective, it becomes an automatic response to similar stimuli in the future.

This automated system operates across various scenarios—positive, neutral, or negative—primarily focusing on maintaining comfort. However, this can lead us to reject discomfort without exploring its deeper significance.

The Limitations of Automation

This automation works efficiently until it doesn't. Much like a factory producing the same product, our minds will continue to automate responses until external circumstances change. Our relationships, environments, and experiences might shift, making our automated responses obsolete.

Without dynamic skills or self-awareness, we risk persisting in producing results that no longer align with our current reality. In these instances, triggers become the end product of an automated response that no longer serves us.

Recognising Triggers

To shift our relationship with triggers, we must explore their origins and purposes. Consider these essential questions:

• What created the trigger?
• Why do we continue to hold onto the experience associated with the trigger?
• What prevents us from choosing a different experience?

Understanding these aspects requires courage, trust, honesty, and ownership. A trigger often destabilises our automated systems, prompting us to awaken to new possibilities.

The Power of Choice

While we cannot control how others behave, we can choose how we respond to them. If we perceive ourselves as powerless, we create a void that others may fill. By failing to make our own choices, we allow others to dictate our experiences, stifling our true expression.

Bianca Moeschinger wisely states, “When we understand who we are and our value, this will no longer be an issue.” Recognizing our worth empowers us to engage with the world authentically.

What to Do When You Get Triggered

When faced with a trigger, consider the following steps:

1. Pause and Acknowledge: Recognize the emotional energy that arises—be it anger, sadness, frustration, anxiety, guilt, shame, or jealousy.
2. Own the Experience: Allow yourself to fully feel the emotion without being judgmental. Embrace it as part of your journey.
3. Let Go of Blame: Shift your focus from blaming others to meeting your younger self’s feelings with your older, wiser self. This fosters understanding and compassion.
4. Express Freely: Allow your body to move and express itself. Let your hands and arms flow freely, and give voice to your feelings.
5. Journal Your Thoughts: Document your experiences—not to cement a truth but to reflect on them later in a detached way. This practice can clarify your thoughts and emotions.

Understanding Shared Experiences

Remember, most people are innocent in their actions. We all carry unique stories, projections, and lenses, creating a complex web of self while interacting with others. There is always truth in these exchanges, and as our stories evolve, so will those of others.

Embrace Change and Responsibility

Take responsibility for your triggers and recognize that everyone you encounter can catalyse your growth. Start by seeking help from within before reaching out to others. Approach conversations with possibilities and solutions, fostering a sense of empowerment and collaboration.

The Journey to Independence

Learning to figure things out for ourselves is crucial on the journey to emotional independence. This often involves trial and error, followed by fine-tuning our responses and behaviours. Embracing this process can transform our triggers into valuable learning experiences.

Thank Your Triggers

Ultimately, triggers are where the gold is found. They offer insight into our emotional landscape and can guide us toward growth and understanding. By approaching our triggers with curiosity rather than fear, we unlock the potential for profound personal transformation.

In conclusion, managing triggers effectively involves understanding their origins, recognizing our power to choose our responses, and embracing the learning opportunities they present. By navigating our emotional landscapes with awareness and authenticity, we can cultivate deeper connections with ourselves and others, paving the way for lasting change and emotional resilience.