02: What is a Trigger and Why You Should Care

What is something that impacts your business every single day, without your even being aware of it? The answer is our topic for today: Triggers. This show is Part 1 of a series on triggers and how they impact your business. We’re diving deep into all you need to know about triggers and triggered reactions.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

What is a trauma-based emotional trigger? This is the most common type of trigger It goes back to a trauma in the past Someone has been victimized It’s difficult to diffuse and redirect  This leads to people stuck in a protective, defensive loop It has a heavy physical/emotional content It’s important to understand what we can affect when this trigger occurs Anger shows up as a masked reaction What is a triggered reaction? It usually leads to a negative outcome and puts you on the defense Similarities between the two types: They are immediate, visceral, and physical When anger shows up, DON’T match anger for anger. Be physically non-threatening, curious, and patient My personal example of a workplace situation with Pat, Mandy, where no one addressed the issues of giving up control (for Pat) and feeling belittled (for Mandy) Reactionary stances of the perfectionist controller and the innocent avoider Positive vs. negative triggered reactions

Resources:

Difficult Happens by Lara Currie