Triggers
Triggers are signals that trigger a specific emotional, cognitive, or behavioral response.
Definition
The trigger may be a place, person, word, time of day, smell, memory, thought, or body condition. In habits, a stimulus triggers a routine, and in emotional reactions it may activate previous associations and defense strategies. Recognizing your triggers is not about avoiding your entire life, but about designing a safer response.
Key ideas
- Trigger signal
- Habits and emotions
- Reaction design
Practice and life
After a repeated reaction, write down: what was right before it, where I was, with whom, what I felt in my body and what thought occurred. After a few saves, look for repetition.
Common misconceptions
It is wrong to use the word "trigger" as an explanation to end the analysis. The trigger itself is the beginning of the map, not the entire map.
> The trigger shows where the pattern begins.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- What most often triggers this pattern?
- What response do I want to put between the stimulus and the action?
- Can I change my environment before I change myself?