So what can we as human beings do when we feel triggered?  The first thing is to be able to observe it in the first place.  This means being self-aware enough to stop and notice that you are feeling upset or out of sorts.  Often, we make the mistake of continuing on throughout our day without being aware of this.  

The next step is to avoid the easiest thing to do, which is to blame others.  Pointing fingers usually  won’t get us very far except down the rabbit hole of emotions we are already on.  So when we want to learn the place to look is inside ourselves.  Get real curious about why you are feeling this way and spend some time asking yourself some questions.  

What is it about me that has me triggered by this?  Possibly the incident has touched on an experience from your past or violated some deep value or concern for you.  Sometimes we are not even aware of things that are important to us, but we feel it emotionally when it has been crossed.  What is it about the way I listened, that has me feeling like this? In other words, it is very possible you interpreted what was said differently than it was intended or you are making it mean something the speaker did not mean.  I cannot stress enough how often this happens.  Possibly just seeking clarification about what you took from the comment or conversation will help to resolve the emotions or the conflict for you.  

Another idea is to consider what you can do to change your emotional state.  There are many different ways to do this.  Exercise, music, movement, journaling, praying, breathing, meditating are all ways you can shift your emotional state.  Choose a way that works for you.  

An even deeper question to consider is, what is it about me, about the way I’m showing up, that has this person behave the way they do?  That could reveal some very powerful ideas for you to reflect on.  

Feeling triggered can leave you feeling out of control of your life and emotions, when you remember that “no one is doing this to you” it’s our own nervous systems and our interpretations of events having you feel this way it is a much more empowered place to work from.  Learning from these small moments of being triggered can help you improve your emotional management and reactions in the future.