How Healthy Warriors Identify Emotional Triggers

How are some people able to deal with emotional triggers while frustrated searchers trying to improve their health succumb to their triggers and go off the rails?

You're about to learn one simple way in how to respond to emotional triggers in a productive and healthy way which is part of Pillar 1 in my M|Body Method. It's an important key in your health journey because most frustrated searchers reach for the comfort or quick foods when triggered. This leads to regretting those choices soon after and taking the trip down the black hole of feeling a failure, hopelessness, guilt, shame, negative self-talk, and self-loathing which only perpetuates staying stuck and possibly giving up all together.

Sound familiar?

I hear from so many women who tell me that if they could only find out a way to deal with their triggers when it comes to staying on course to improve their diet or incorporating exercise, it would make a HUGE difference in their ability to reach their health goals.

In todays blog I share this one strategy from my method that I use to help frustrated searchers finally see their triggers for what they are and build confidence from practicing strategies to keep them on track.

To truly be the health warrior who slays emotional dragons to prevent derailing their efforts to get healthy, lose weight and feel better than they have in years, they first have to go deep and do some soul searching to uncover where their emotional triggers hide.

It may not be so fun to look at some of our stuff to see where these land mines are, but warriors don't shy away from doing what needs to be done when they're sick and tired of feeling miserable, are finally over it, and want solutions once and for all.

It all starts with our beliefs about ourselves in relationship to how we deal with stress, negativity, difficult emotions or just being plain old tired. Our experiences in our lives good or bad have thoughts and feelings related to them that over time create our beliefs about what we believe we're capable or not. Essentially our identities.

      [Experience → thought → feeling → belief → action]

Repeated over time = identity formation

Now this may sound like common sense on some level, that our thoughts and feelings are associated with our identities, yet triggers prevail and we tend to repeat the same behaviors when faced with a stressor over and over again. 

One reason is that no matter what new and great strategy you're trying to incorporate into your life, in times of stress we tend to revert back to old behaviors that have been repeated so often they have become habit. This may be true for you if you tend to reach for comfort foods when feeling frazzled.

Or it could be that you're really busy or just plain tired. When these two are going on we also tend to reach for comfort foods or something quick and easy because the thought of going into the kitchen to spend 1-2 hours preparing a healthy meal feels painful.

I know I've been there a few times, and like you, I've made choices for myself I regretted later.

So in order to get unstuck, you've got to pay close attention to those times you want to down an entire bag of chips or eat half a cake (been there), and start to identify what you're feeling, where it's coming from, and find a new way to cope.

So just how do we identify and break these patterns of behavior?

The first step is taking a look at what feelings, thoughts or events may be your particular trigger point and becoming familiar with the warning signs that are common to you when triggered. What is happening? Where is the stress coming from? What are you feeling? Is it a certain time of day? Is it work related? Is it relationship related?

It's important to really zone in on what is happening at the time of the trigger and do a sort of reverse engineering so to speak of what's coming first. Then begin to make note each time you're triggered and watch for patterns or common themes. This awareness alone can make a huge impact.

The next step, once you have intel on your warning signs prior to the trigger, is to make a plan on how you can better deal with those situations, events, or feelings that typically catch you up. As you practice paying close attention and plugging in a better strategy, you begin to build your confidence and experience more positive outcomes that reinforce that you can successfully deal with your triggers in whatever form they come in.

For example a huge trigger for me is being pressed for time and feeling rushed coupled with being tired after a long day. The thought of cooking is the worst. It's these times I just want to make life easier, reach for the phone and order a pizza that I know isn't the best choice for me. Not because of the calories - but I can't eat gluten due to my hypothyroidism.

Since I know this is one of my major triggers, I plan ahead knowing that life happens and I'll inevitably once again feel rushed to get dinner. So I make a plan after looking at what's in store for the day on my to do list, and I'll either make something in a crock pot or have healthier choices in the fridge that I can prepare quickly.

The key is to begin to pay attention to those times that cause you to be triggered, do your best to plan for those times so you can be prepared and plan accordingly. 

But keep in mind, none of us are perfect and we can only do the best that we can living very stressful lives in a very stressful world. Go easy on yourself if you do have a moment and succumb to the temptation of enjoying a fave comfort food when shits been rough. 

The more you practice new strategies, the better you'll get. 

In my new method. We go even deeper to explore your story and identify other possible barriers to help you develop specific mindset strategies to overcome what's holding you back from making the progress you desire.

If you're curious to know more click here to get the Clarity Through Connection Handbook where I share the three pillars of my new method.