Triggers. We all have them. They are emotional trauma monsters that have a way of turning us inside out and upside down when we least expect them. Coaching can help you navigate your triggers in a healthy way and to find a way to stay on your path toward goal fulfillment.
What’s a “trigger”?
Let’s start by defining the word “trigger.” According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, a trigger is “a stimulus that elicits a reaction. For example, an event could be a trigger for a memory of a past experience and an accompanying state of emotional arousal.” (APA, 2022). Triggers have always been around however it is only until the past couple of years that the word “trigger” has become part of the vernacular. We ALL have triggers and we all respond to them in different ways. Some of us have done a lot of work in therapy and/or coaching, in order to recognize these triggers ahead of time in order to identify our reactions so that we can create better, healthier responses. As I coach, I feel that it’s important to point out that we will always have triggers. The world can be a tough place and we cannot control what people do and say. We cannot control anyone else’s behavior but we CAN control our own. This is where coaching can become invaluable to someone who wants to take back control by working on how they respond to traumatic stimuli within the context of life purpose, goal setting and alignment.
Triggers, coaching and goal-setting
I dig in deep with my clients. Most of the time, we know our triggers and how we react to them. Our emotional meltdowns can cause even more trauma if we don’t learn how to take control of them. The trigger doesn’t care if you lost 50 pounds and still want to lose more weight. If you are triggered by something and your reaction is to eat unhealthy foods or participate in unhealthy behaviors, you will not reach that goal. The trigger doesn’t care if you want to create a better life for yourself. The trigger sets off an emotional response that can throw you off path and often set you back and in the wrong direction. Letting your triggers control your behavior can make it extraordinarily difficult to follow through on goals.
THIS is where I come in. After identifying the problem and determining your reactions, we assess where you are in your life and where you want to be. I listen and ask questions in order to clarify issues and work out goals that you long to complete. Setting goals and being accountable to them can be of tremendous help when working to conquer trigger reactions. Overcoming blocks, coming up with a plan of action and taking small and large actions are also part of the coaching process. Sometimes, therapy is part of the action steps, along with coaching, and that is perfectly fine. Sometimes, the emotional work is already done and the client is ready to dig deep and do the work of keeping to the path they design for themselves. Either way, my job is to walk with you.
Triggers are a distraction
Regardless of whether you attempt to work through your triggered reactions or not- triggers serve as a distraction away from goals that can help you create a life that is in alignment with purpose and fulfillment. Those who choose to actively pursue that life, despite their triggers, often have great results with coaching. There are others who are content with living in the endless cycle of trigger, reaction, distraction, and going backwards. The cycle is sad to watch especially when I know that someone wants better for themselves but isn’t willing to take the reigns and stop the cycle. If they aren’t willing to do the work then there is nothing at all that I can do. Don’t allow your triggers to distract you from living the life you want to lead. Do the work. Not only CAN you do it- you can dominate those reactions and use that energy to create pretty much whatever you want.
Let’s talk!
Are you ready to set some goals and get yourself on a path to a fulfilling, aligned, purposeful life? Are you ready to respond and not react to the triggers of every day life and those of past trauma? Are you willing to be coached through finding the tools your need in order to be successful? If so, let’s talk! Contact me HERE to set up a free 20 minute consultation. Stop the cycle of reliving trauma and start pursuing the life you deserve. Let’s see where you are and where you want to be!