What events triggered you more than they should today?
Turn excessive emotional reactions into moments of awareness and growth.
If you often find yourself triggered more than the situation calls for, ask yourself each night:
🤔 What events triggered me more than they should today?
Then reflect on the stories you told yourself about those events and look for more helpful ways to see them.
Do you often find yourself disproportionately upset over something relatively minor, like being cut off in traffic, waiting in a long queue at the store, or feeling brushed off in a conversation with someone close to you? These small annoyances trigger strong emotional reactions that can lead to behaviors we later regret, whether it’s reacting aggressively behind the wheel, smoking or drinking to cope, or withdrawing emotionally from someone we care about. It’s like a fire alarm going off because of burnt toast or steam from a hot shower: a loud, urgent reaction meant for serious danger triggered by something minor.
Why do these incidents affect us so much? Often, it’s not the event itself but how we interpret it. For example, if someone cuts us off in traffic, we might think, “That driver is rude and reckless.” When stuck in a long queue, we might think, “This is so annoying, why is this taking so long?” And if a close friend seems distant, we might assume, “They don’t care about me anymore.” These thoughts stir up negative feelings, stress, and impulsive reactions. When this kind of stress builds over time, it wears down our emotional well-being, strains our physical health, and may even shorten our life.
Recognizing these thoughts is the first step toward changing the story and finding calm. What if we adopted more positive narratives in those moments? We might consider that the driver who cut us off is responding to an emergency, the busy store queue offers an opportunity to practice mindfulness, or a friend’s distant behavior signals they may be facing challenges. These alternatives not only soften our emotional response, they might also be true. By reframing these situations, we stop everyday annoyances from overwhelming our emotions. The situations are the same, but the results change when we tell ourselves a different story.
If you often find yourself triggered more than the situation calls for, start asking yourself each night:
🤔 What events triggered me more than they should today?
Then reflect on the stories you told yourself about those moments and consider different ways to see them. Keep this up until you naturally begin to shift your perspective in the moment, catching yourself before getting overly triggered. Over time, this growing awareness helps you stay calmer and respond more thoughtfully when small hassles come up.
