Know Your Triggers

“How many times have I told you not to chew your nails” I could sense anger welling up as I noticed my son biting his nails. While I have been guilty of doing this myself when stressed, there is something oddly unnerving watching someone else biting their nails.

There are a few things that just set me off emotionally. Someone biting nails is only one of them.

Almost all of us have some triggers that push our emotional state from balanced to agitated.

Understanding your emotional triggers helps you manage your emotional state proactively and improve your mental resilience.

Since I know that someone biting nails is one of my triggers, I have made a pact with myself. If I come across anyone biting nails, I count 5,4,3,2,1 slowly. Then I take two long breaths and keep quiet. That is my routine. I know my weakness, and I manage it ahead of time. This way, I take responsibility for my behavior and actions.

There could be many things that tick you off and trigger an overflow of negative emotions.

Maybe somebody ignores you, judges you, blames you or rejects you. Or perhaps, someone speaks in a disrespectful tone, intrudes into your territory, or is passive-aggressive.

Whatever be your emotional triggers, reflect on them, and devise a plan to respond(not react) when they occur. Don’t personalize your response. When you develop a plan much before the next trigger comes, you have a choice not to succumb to the instinct of reacting mindlessly when the trigger happens.

You have the power to respond maturely.