Your Trigger Guide

Your Trigger Guide

Step by Step

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Introduction

Welcome to your Trigger Guide - a fun step by step interactive journey that combines evidence baised practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectual Behavioral Therapy to help you finally understand your triggers and learn how to manage them in the moment.

What are Triggers?

A trigger is anything that activates a strong emotional response activating something unresolved inside you. When you’re triggered, your brain senses danger (even if you’re not actually in danger). In order to better understanding whats happening we must first learn whats happening in the brain... Press start to enter your trigger guide

START

The Trigger Guide

Step 1 : Learning the Brain

Step 2: Understanding the 4 F's

Step 3: Identify the Emotion

Step 4: Identifying the Mind Trap

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

Step 1

Click on each stress response to learn what chemicals are being released in the brain when you are feeling triggered. " In order to learn how to cope with triggers we must first change our mindset from whats wrong with me to why is this happening"

The Brain When Triggered

Cortisol

Adrenaline

Dopamine

Serotonin

Oxytocin

Next

Step 2

Click on the 4 F's, fight flight fawn freeze to learn how our brain naturally responds to triggers. Which one do you relate to? How we respond to triggers will tell us how well we can manage them. Each response, although has helped us in the past unfortuaetly keeps us stuck in a cycle of anxiety and depression. Responding this way prevents us from learning how to manage and cope more effectly.

Fight

You become angry or confrontational, trying to regain control of the situation.

Flight

You feel the urge to escape or avoid the situation entirely.

Freeze

You shut down, feel stuck, or unable to move or think clearly

Fawn

You people-please or appease others to keep yourself safe and avoid conflict.

QUESTION

Step 3

After understanding your brain, now its time to identify what your brain is trying to tell you. Each emotion is a guide, it guides us towards what we need emotionally, however we are used to ignoring and shaming our emotions that we dont even know what its purpose is. Learning how to identify what each emotion is saying and its purpose helps guide us towards what our triggers need from us

Emotions

Click on The Feelings You Felt..

Anger

Hurt

Disappointed

Fustrated

Hopeless

Overwhelmed

Envy

Fear

Anxiety

Embarrassed

Worried

Numb

Pop Up Quiz

Click and hold the 6 dots on the side to sort

Next

Step 4

Once we identify the emotions we feel, we must rewrite the story. See our brains have come up with stories to help us cope with our emotions, however many of these stories are negative and can actually fuel our anger, sadness, anxiety, and depression.

Mind Traps

Black & White Thinking

Catastrophizing

"Should" Statements

Labeling

Mind Reading

Fortune Telling

Emotional Reasoning

Personalization

QUESTION

Next

QUESTION

QUESTION

Step 5

Reframing our stories to stick to the facts. How can we analyze what happened without using judgment, blaming, or criticism? Practicing this can lower our feelings of guilt, shame, fustration, and anger towards others

Communication

Boundaries

Acceptance

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Adrenaline

The Alarm Signal

Adrenaline is released during stress or danger. It activates the “fight, flight, or freeze” response to help you survive. At the same time, it reduces activity in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for logical thinking, planning, and self-control. So basically, your body goes into survival mode, and thinking clearly takes a back seat.

Dopamine

Motivation & Reward

Dopamine helps us feel motivated to start tasks. Low dopamine means...

• Difficulty focusing , your mind may wonder towards things that produce stimulation
• Setting and pursuing goals — it’s hard to care about progress or outcomes when there low dopamine.
• Getting out of bed or maintaining energy — fatigue and lack of momentum are common.
• Feeling hopeful about the future — low dopamine can make life feel dull or meaningless.

Examples of Fawn

• Goes straight into apologizing.
• Saying its "fine" even when your upset
• Overexplaining your emotions
• Taking responsibilty for others mood & emotions
• Agreeing to plans or favors you dont want to do

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Anxiety signals to the brain, im predicting something "bad" might happen in the future. The purpose of this emotion is to keep you safe. Sometimes this emotion wants to take action and make a plan to prevent "bad" things from happening in the future

Examples of Fight

• Snapping at your partner/ friend when you feel blamed or misunderstood.
• Critizing or blaming your partner/friend when you feel disrespected.
• Giving an ultimatum after feeling rejected
• Feeling the need to prove your right

Should

"Should" Statements

This negative thinking trap is the belief that you "should" be doing something. which often creates guilt, frustration, or shame. Example:

• I should go to college
• I should be dating
• I should start a family
• I should being saving more

These thoughts sound like societal rules, but they usually make you feel pressured or disappointed.

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Envy signals that you’re noticing something someone else has that you deeply desire or value. Something important is missing or unfulfilled within you. Envy helps you identify your own hidden wants, dreams, or unmet needs. Instead of judging it, you can use envy as a compass. Showing you what matters most to you and where you want to grow.

Black & White

All or Nothing Thinking

This negative thought pattern is when you see things as all good or all bad, right or wrong, with no in-between. Example: “Shes a bad person for what she did" "Im mad because im right and your wrong" Reality: Most situations are shades of gray— someone can still be a "good" person even if they make a "bad" mistake. There is no universal right or wrong, its all baised on PERSPECTIVE !. Its important to see the middle ground

Examples of Flight

• Ignoring Texts or calls
• Ghosting
• Distracting yourself with work, social media, erens, etc.
• Shutting down or going silent
• Ending relationships prematurley to avoid getting hurt

Anger is not a"bad" emotion. Its trying to communicate something important to us. Anger is telling you to either set a boundary or to self reflect.

• Anger can happen when someones ignores your values, privacy, time, space, autonomy. (Time to set a boundary)

• Or a signal of deeper wounds "Im not good enough". Self reflection might be needed to process rejection and or abandonment.

Fear is to protect you from danger — it’s your body’s built-in alarm system. Fear thinks something might harm you (physically or emotionally) and its trying to prepare you to respond — by pausing, escaping, or defending yourself.

Serotonin

The Mood Stabelizer

Serotonin helps stabilize your moodWhen balanced:

• You feel calm, content, and emotionally grounded. Your sleep, appetite, and focus tend to stay steady.
• When low: You might feel sad, irritable, restless, or disconnected. Small stressors can feel heavier than usual, and your sleep or appetite may shift.
• Why it matters: Serotonin acts like an internal mood thermostat — helping your brain and body stay in sync.

Examples of Freeze

• Going blank not knowing what to say
• Feeling numb when people express feeling angry at you
• Agreeing to something you dont want to end the tension
• Physically freezing when someone raises their voice
• Zoning out or dissasociating

Hopelessness signals that your mind believes there’s no way out — that effort no longer matters or change isn’t possible. It often appears after long periods of stress, disappointment, or unmet needs. Hopelessness invites you to rest and seek support. It asks you to stop fighting alone and to reach for connection, perspective, or comfort.

Step 1

Welcome to Step 1 to your trigger guide. Its important we first identify the feelings. Our brains are used to surpressing our feelings and identifying them as "good" or "bad" preventing us from being able to release these emotions. Instead they get buried inside

Worry is your mind’s way of trying to anticipate and control possible outcomes. Spiraling into the "what ifs" Worry exists to help you prepare and protect yourself. It signals that you care about something and want to prevent harm or loss.But when worry becomes constant, it can trap you in “what if” loops that drain energy instead of creating safety.

Catastrophizing

Jumping to the WORST Conclusions

Catastrophizing happens when your brain jumps to the worst-case scenario instead of thinking realistically. Example: “I made a mistake at work — I’m going to get fired.” You assume things will end terribly. Example: “My friend is being distant, they are probably trying to ghost me" When we catastrophize, our body can react like we’re in danger — heart racing, tense muscles, anxious thoughts — even if nothing bad has actually happened.

Overwhelm signals your mind or body has reached its limit — too many thoughts, tasks, or emotions to process at once. Its purpose is you to slow down, take a break, and create space to breathe. This emotion wants you to reduce what’s on your plate, set boundaries, and care for yourself before continuing.

Fustration is a "blocked-goal" emotion. It tells us that something is standing in the way of what we want or need. Its saying " I feel stuck and powerless" The Purpose of this emotion is to problem solve or change our strategy to adabt or let go of the obstacle we cant move

Embarrassment is the emotion created to help you stay connected to others. It signals that you’ve done something that might not align with social norms or your own values, motivating you to repair or reconnect. Embarrassment helps us identify hidden feelings of shame & guilt.

Oxytocin

The Bonding Hormone

Oxytocin helps you feel safe, connected, and bonded with others. It’s often called the “love” or “trust” hormone. When triggered: You might feel warmth & affection. You may feel this when hugging someone, sharing a laugh, or even petting an animal. Why it matters: Oxytocin reduces stress hormones and strengthens emotional bonds, but when it’s low, you may feel lonely, disconnected, or crave reassurance and closeness.

$228.99

Down with boring content in your presentation: make it entertaining

• We don't like to bore. We don't want to be repetitive.

• Communicating as always bores and doesn't engage.
• We do it differently. We sabotage boredom.

• We create what the brain likes to consume because it stimulates it. 

buy

Hurt tells the body "I longed for connection, safety, or to feel valued and I felt rejected, denied, or abandoned instead".

• " I feel unseen or unimportant"
• "This experience reminds me of a deeper wound of the past"

Labeling

Labeling is a thinking trap where you call yourself or someone else a fixed, negative name instead of describing the behavior.Examples: “There lazy” instead of “They might be tired or have low dopamine.” “There not career driven” instead of “Career might not be there priority” “There stupid” instead of “they have a different way of thinking than I do"

Disappointment helps you realign your expectations with reality. The emotion is saying "something didnt turn out the way I wanted". The purpose is to reassess your expectations, goals, or the people you rely on.

Cortisol

The Stress Hormone

• Its keeps your body alert . The body enters survival mode flight, flight, freeze, fawn.
• When triggered you might feel wired but tired, have trouble sleeping or feel on edge.
• Why it matters Cortisol helps you handle ongoing pressure but when it stays high for too long it can drain your energy, mood, immune system

What it feels like: Disconnected, flat, blank mind, hard to feel or think clearly.What it’s telling you: “This feels too overwhelming.” Your body is shutting down emotionally to protect you. Numbness prevents you from being able to process and release stress.