Emotional triggers often lead us to turn to food for comfort. They hijack our body and we get super reactive to these triggers, whether they are a certain person, a place, or a situation. They can make us feel anxiety, pain, stress, overwhelm, or a bunch of other sticky feelings that we’d rather numb with some ice cream or half a pizza.
 
It’s helpful to be able to identify your emotional triggers so you can you learn how to manage them without using food as a drug to avoid them. The main thing to know is:
 
Triggers are there to teach us.
 
Believe it or not, emotional triggers are there to help you. When a trigger hits you and translates to emotional pain, it’s your opportunity to figure out why you’re reacting that way. Your emotional triggers are showing you what needs to be healed in your body or life.  Instead of turning to food to dull your reaction, ask yourself:
 
How can I respond to this situation instead of reacting?
 
If someone in particular triggers you, then there is something in you that needs to be addressed and healed. It’s not about them. When you find yourself being triggered by someone else, it’s an opportunity to explore yourself and how you operate.
 
People are our teachers.
 
If someone is triggering you, it’s not about them, it’s about you learning to take responsibility for your reaction.
 
The best way to learn how to manage your emotional triggers is to be present with them. Recognize that you are being triggered in the moment, feel into your physical pain, and then dig into why you’re being triggered.
 
Go inward and do the work, don’t numb out with food, because you’ll just be suppressing your pain, and you’ll just be triggered again down the line. Instead, come back into your body and figure out the lesson behind your trigger.
 
It’s okay if it takes time to learn about your triggers. You don’t need to know the all of the answers right away, just give yourself the time and space to explore. You can use this ninja strategy in the quest to understand how triggers affect you:
 
Observation vs identification.
 
So often we identify with our triggers and make it all about us. We’re in the weeds with it and the way it makes us feel. Instead – observe it. Tell yourself, “Okay, I’m being triggered right now, it’s painful in my body, and I’m reacting. Why do I feel this way? Why am I so activated?”
 
Observing and then getting curious about your emotional triggers will enact transformation. You can’t transform if you aren’t curious about why you operate the way you do – so dig in, explore, and see what you find.
 
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Emotional triggers is something we dig into in my 6-month group coaching program, The Society. If you really want to stop using food as a drug and learn how to connect to your body, then apply for The Society here.