WELLNESS
The Healthiest Way To React When Your Emotions Have Been Triggered
By SARAH VULPIO
An emotional trigger can be anything — people, places, words, or even colors — that evoke an automatic reaction such as anger, sadness, or anxiousness. Not knowing how to handle these emotions can be frustrating when you want to move past a certain point in your life, and fortunately, there is a healthy way to react to these triggers.
When your emotions have been triggered, it makes it difficult to think clearly and rationally, which is where the first step in the “Stop, Drop, and Roll” method comes into play. When using this method, the first thing to remember is to STOP: S (stop), T (take a breath), O (observe your physical sensations, thoughts, and feelings), and P (proceed with better awareness).
The second step, drop, is where you are “dropping” into your experience to better understand how your body is affected by the trigger and asking yourself questions about your physical reactions. Finally, it’s important to “roll” with your feelings, allowing yourself to feel these intense emotions and asking them what they need to heal and move forward.