What to Do with Triggers

Why It Matters

Understanding and managing triggers enhances emotional intelligence, leading to better workplace performance and reduced burnout.

Key Takeaways

• Identify triggers to create space before reacting impulsively
• Recognize thoughts linking triggers to emotions and actions
• Challenge blaming, all‑or‑nothing, and catastrophizing thinking patterns daily
• Use therapy or self‑help videos to reframe unhelpful thoughts
• Practice replacing reactive responses with healthier, deliberate choices

Summary

The video addresses how individuals can transform the way they respond to emotional triggers, emphasizing that triggers are not the cause of behavior but signals that create a decision point.

It explains that between a stimulus and a reaction lies a mental “space” where one can choose a different response. By cataloguing triggers and then examining the underlying thoughts—such as blaming, all‑or‑nothing, or catastrophizing—viewers can interrupt impulsive patterns.

The presenter illustrates the concept with statements like “He triggered me, so I yelled,” and lists typical distorted thoughts: “These kids are always rude, I had to yell,” “My day is ruined, why try,” and “It will never get better, I might quit.” Recognizing these patterns is the first step toward change.

For professionals, mastering this technique can reduce conflict, improve decision‑making, and boost productivity, while also offering a low‑cost alternative to therapy through self‑guided cognitive exercises.

Original Description

Triggers aren't the cause of your behaviors.

There’s a space between what happens and how you respond.

And inside that space? That’s where your power lives.

With awareness, that space gets a little wider.

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.

In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c...

If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 988 or your local emergency services.

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