What to do when being triggered and having feelings kicked up? There are many tools to center yourself and get yourself out of that headspace. For one you can check your breathing. Taking a deep breath so you can pause instead of react. The muscle of pausing, rather than reacting allows us the space to dive a little deeper. Like taking the time to comb out a knot in your hair. It’s allowing yourself the time to go slow and enter a place of curiosity. Why was I so triggered around this situation? Often we want to blame whomever caused the trigger but what if you look at that trigger as a gift? This person is actually gifting you the ability to see the unhealed parts of yourself. It creates the opportunity for us to see where we need to grow, and have compassion, kindness and patience. It shows us where our inner immaturity, our fears and our selfishness live within ourselves. Triggers show us where we need to build faith and connect to a higher power. There are always profound teachings available if we’re willing to look at ourselves.
Making outreach calls to your Wise People Team can always help (think of your sponsor/mentor/therapist). Generally it takes multiple calls to get to the root of it all, but there needs to be willingness to be transparent and completely honest for healing to occur. And the very act of being transparent and honest will give a sense of relief.
Take some time to go for a walk in nature. Try sitting up against a tree and feel the support behind you. Feel the health in the connection to nature, and ask for help to see what happens. I’ve had some really beautiful experiences where I’ve been in a lot of pain, then I go find a place in nature. In my mind I ask for help and somehow I would receive some type of guidance. Short and simple, but profound.
Journaling can be another beautiful way for you to give your inner two-year-old the permission to absolutely vent. I was recently turned onto Byron Katie’s “Judge your neighbor” form. It’s a form used to let your most inner pettiness out and when done correctly, with someone who knows what they’re doing, it can be a profound process. It’s basically like doing the 4th Step in AA.
