What to do when you are triggered

Posted by admin in Blog (Weekly), Blogs

Oct
4

I’m sure we’ve all been triggered at one time or another. For me, a trigger is when something happens in the present (an emotion, reaction, belief) that stems from something in my past that still needs healing. I can tell that it’s from the past because my reactions and feelings may be over the top and not rational. I will often feel shame and embarrassment for my reactions and feelings. Can you relate?

I may think that the past is over and I’ve let go of the past. I ask myself, “Why is it still coming up and why does it still bother me? It may be comparing myself to another, jealousy, not feeling good enough or feeling unworthy. If it’s coming into the light, it’s because there is more healing needed. Healing is like an onion, one layer at a time. I must be willing to trust it’s coming up to be healed.

I became aware this week of how I’ve minimized some of my childhood experiences because I didn’t want to feel the depth of my pain. My mother, because of her own pain and alcoholism often ignored me and didn’t give me the attention I needed and craved. Consequently, I looked outside for attention and felt devastated when I didn’t get it. Talk about always giving my power away. If I think I’m being ignored or forgotten in the present (real or unreal), it’s probably coming from past wounding that needs healing.

We can also minimize what’s happening in our present circumstances in our relationships or jobs because we don’t want to feel and face the truth. If we feel our feelings and face the truth, we will have to do something about it. Sometimes, it’s easier to stay in denial and minimize what’s going on.

We all have coping skills and behaviors to avoid feeling our feelings. Some people drink, eat, stay busy, shop, gamble, minimize, work, people please and on and on. What do you do to avoid your feelings?

To HEAL is to FEEL. When we don’t allow ourselves to feel all of our feelings, they go underground and we get sick and get stuck. Feelings are not right or wrong, they just are. When I allow myself to process all of my feelings, even when they don’t make sense, they move through me and I can let go of them and be healed. When I am triggered or feel an “ouch” it’s a call to love myself UNCONDITIONALLY.

Here is my declaration of SELF LOVE and what I do and don’t do when I’m triggered.

I WILL not shame or blame myself
I WILL NOT judge myself
I WILL NOT beat up on myself
I WILL NOT blame someone else for my trigger
I WILL NOT be a victim

I WILL love myself unconditionally
I WILL feel all of my feelings
I WILL trust in Divine healing
I WILL trust myself
I WILL bring my triggers to the light and share them with someone I trust
I WILL ask Spirit to heal me
I WILL be compassionate with myself so I can offer compassion to another
I WILL forgive myself if I need to
I WILL see everything that happens as a DIVINE SET-UP for my healing
I WILL be grateful for what I have, rather than what I don’t have
I WILL affirm that everything I need is within

The spiritual journey is about remembering the truth of who I am. I am ONE with God and everyone else. When I know that I am LOVE and love is all there is, I will experience peace and freedom. I am a work in progress and so are you.