--- title: How do you work through the triggers from trauma in your... ~ Our Wave Community description: Triggers are emotional reactions produced by the part of our brain called the amygdala. The amygdala activates the fight or flight response our bodies have... url: https://community.ourwave.org/en/answer/how-do-you-work-through-the-triggers-from-trauma-in-your-daily-life-10.md --- {{customAnalyticsScripts}} [\[Image: Our Wave Logo\]\[Image: Our Wave Logo\]](/en/) [ Community ](/en/)[ Questions & Answers ](/en/learn)[ Find Support ](/en/resources) Share story Post a message 0 Users 0 Views 0 Reactions 0 Stories read ##### Need to take a break? 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Send it to us 🇺🇸 # How do you work through the triggers from trauma in your daily life? \[Image: Dr. Laura\] Answer by **Dr. Laura** PhD Mental Health Nurse & Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Topics:[Managing emotions and how you feel in your body](/en/learn/topics/managing-emotions-and-how-you-feel-in-your-body) Triggers are emotional reactions produced by the part of our brain called the amygdala. The amygdala activates the fight or flight response our bodies have when we feel that our lives are in danger. Our neural systems cannot tell the difference between emotional threats and physical ones, so our bodies respond similarly in both situations. When triggered, our bodies attempt to protect us by releasing stress-related hormones and peptides. A trigger is a response that seems disproportionate to the event that transpired. Triggers are personal and unique to the individual experiencing them. Our triggers connect to stored memories or feelings. Some triggers can be more obviously linked to traumas from the past such as facing rejection, feeling neglected, someone showing up late, raising their voice, grabbing your arm etc. Other times, however, it can be a taste, smell, or other sensory input that triggers a memory. Triggers can seem minor to those on the outside. It is important to understand, however, that while we may not be able to fully relate to a trigger someone has, the terror and anxiety they feel is very real. Our reactions to triggers can happen extremely quick. If we know our triggers and understand where they come from, we can prepare ourselves and look out for situations that may cause our bodies to go into fight or flight. The event isn't what causes the intense reaction; the emotions attached to the trigger inspire a reaction. Start by noticing what your body does when it begins to feel triggered. If you can recognize signs of distress in yourself, you may be able to mitigate that response. You can also begin to identify your triggers by making a list of external events that bring an intense, emotional response that feels out of proportion when looking objectively at the event. Identify the trigger, take space from the trigger, and develop strategies to shift your perspective and find peace (taking a walk, drinking tea, taking deep breaths, etc). Entering back into a state of clarity and balance will enhance your abilities to respond to an event how you choose. Remember: learning to manage triggers takes time, practice, and patience. Be gentle with yourself. Random Question 0 Upvote(s) Upvote(s) [ 0 Comment(s) Comment(s) ](/en/answer/how-do-you-work-through-the-triggers-from-trauma-in-your-daily-life-10#comments) ### Discard message? You have a comment in progress, are you sure you want to discard it? Cancel Discard ##### Similar community content 0 Users 0 Views 0 Reactions 0 Stories read ##### Need to take a break? 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Name the following out loud: 5 – things you can see (you can look within the room and out of the window) 4 – things you can feel (what is in front of you that you can touch?) 3 – things you can hear 2 – things you can smell 1 – thing you like about yourself. Take a deep breath to end. From where you are sitting, look around for things that have a texture or are nice or interesting to look at. Hold an object in your hand and bring your full focus to it. Look at where shadows fall on parts of it or maybe where there are shapes that form within the object. Feel how heavy or light it is in your hand and what the surface texture feels like under your fingers (This can also be done with a pet if you have one). Take a deep breath to end. Ask yourself the following questions and answer them out loud: 1\. Where am I? 2\. What day of the week is today? 3\. What is today’s date? 4\. What is the current month? 5\. What is the current year? 6\. How old am I? 7\. What season is it? 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