Using triggers to create peace
When we think of triggers, often we think of things that initiate some sort of negative mind chatter or bodily reaction. Like seeing your ex at the grocery store or that certain thought that can turn into a full blown panic attack. Our life is full of triggers, especially in an era where we are exposed to an almost constant influx of information. Whatever it may be, we all have things in life that can send us into some sort of negative spiral or create stress within us.
But let me ask you this: If your body can be taught to be triggered / reactive / stressed / anxious — then what makes you think you can’t teach it to be calm / grounded / mindful & to return to peace?
You can! A trigger is a trigger because we have developed a pattern of associating it with something “bad”. But a trigger can also be something that we associate with good feelings too && understanding this is key to reducing stress and feeling better! Let me tell you about my personal experience with this.
If you have been following this blog, you know that I struggled with panic attacks throughout my last semester of nursing school. I would have them at home, at work, in class and even during my clinical rotations. It did not matter where I was, I knew that at any time there was a possibility that something would trigger one. I could call in sick to work, but if you have ever been in nursing school you know that you don’t miss clinical for anything short of losing a limb. Making the decision to treat my anxiety naturally left me with no choice but to find some sort of way to self soothe.
& that is exactly what I did.
At this point I had read countless self help books in my wellness studies. One thing I began to notice was that all of them pointed to the importance of some sort of routine in our days. I decided that this would be my starting point, so before a clinical I would arrive a few minutes early to sip warm tea and read a few pages out of one of my books. Sometimes I had to re-read a page multiple times because I was so anxious, but I continued to show up for myself. It was a simple routine, but it was powerful.
I knew that tea and a book could get me to clinical and through part of the morning, but I still had 12 hours ahead of me those days. I was onto something but you can’t read or sip tea when you are in a room with a patient and your instructor. I had to find a way to recreate this sense of peace while on the move. This was the moment I discovered the concept of triggering peace.
There was a walking meditation I learned that involved choosing an object of your choice and using one or all of the five senses to focus on nothing but that. My item of choice had to be something that was discrete enough to bring to clinical, but that I could focus on when needed. I chose a small jade stone about the size of a quarter. It fit right in my pocket, and anytime I felt a panic attack coming or my anxiety increasing I would hold it between my fingers and focus on the smoothness and texture of the stone. There were some days where I would leave a post conference multiple times in a thirty minute period. I pulled my instructor aside one day and simply told her that I had been having panic attacks and if I excused myself it was to take a moment to meditate. At first I was terrified to tell her this. I was afraid of the judgement that would come with it or that it would somehow reflect on my clinical review. But to my surprise, she was very accepting of this practice. She told me to leave whenever I needed and asked if I was okay. I told her that I was fine and just needed a moment to myself. I can’t say that every instructor or employer will be this supportive, but I do believe that it is worth a try. People generally want to help when they can. Don’t be afraid to ask for a moment to yourself. You can call into work for an entire day or ask a co-worker to cover you for a couple of minutes. Which choice do you think will benefit your life long term? Hint, it is not constantly calling into work and repeatedly avoiding triggers.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking: You’re telling us you stopped panic attacks with a rock?
Yes and no. It wasn’t instant, but it didn’t take months for this practice to work. After about a week or so I could make it through an entire post conference without leaving. Pretty soon my panic attacks were becoming further apart, and today I can write this for you, panic attack free for nearly three years (no jade needed). I don’t believe that a rock should be listed in a medical textbook as the cure for anxiety, but I do believe that we need to educate people (and ourselves) on the importance of self soothing practices, even if we don’t have anxiety. The stone became a positive trigger for my brain, a reminder of self care // peace // focus. I associated it with calm, and pretty soon that is exactly what it did for me. After experiencing how well this worked for me, I started to add other practices into my routine to help ease my stress levels and “trigger” peace. I created a list of these, all of which I still use today in my self care practices!
Lavender diffuser at bed time: Think about a fragrance that brings you back to a specific moment in time. The second you smell it you think of a childhood memory or an old friend. Use this neurological process to your advantage. Creating a calming fragrance routine is a great way to regulate // induce sleep. Not only that, but if you use something such as lavender you can carry it with you. If you know you have a stressful day ahead, put some on your wrist. Soon your brain will associate the smell with the relaxation of your bed and help to recreate that calm wherever you are.
Daily meditation/breath work: Taking a moment out of each day to sit in stillness is such a great way to ground yourself. If you sit in meditation for a few minutes a day, not only will this practice itself decrease stress responses throughout your body and have countless health benefits, but pausing to focus on the breath is something that you can do anytime and anywhere. Seems logical to use this to our advantage if breathing is something that we already do 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Movement: Yup, this is a frequently used word in my blogs and it applies here too! Taking a walk // stretching are some of my favorite ways to burn off those stress hormones and reset when needed. Whether you are at a desk or at home, take a moment to get up and move your body.
Visualization: This is another technique that I love to use. When it came to anxiety, I used what I called a white light visualization. Whenever I felt it creeping up, I would picture white light surrounding me and flowing over me. I pictured the anxiety washing away and being replaced with light. Today I use a visualization meditation at bed time almost every night. I close my eyes and picture a small box in my hand. I then picture every stress, worry or negative thought of the day going into it. After I feel I have finished this step, I picture a bird picking up the box and carrying it away. I take two deep breaths and open my eyes. Instantly I feel a sense of peace and a weight lifted off of my shoulders.
Mantras: It only makes sense that if you are running circles in your brain with stress and worry that you should replace these thoughts with better feeling ones. Mantras are the easiest way to stop the mind chatter and return your focus to the positive. Repeat your mantras a few times or as many as you think you need.
Reading: This has always been something that I love to do and anytime I need to unwind or take a break from the business of a day, I grab a book and some tea and sit somewhere quiet for a while.
&& yes, I still carry stones in my purse.
We all carry stress and we all have triggers, but we can use this same process to help us reduce reactivity and live mindfully. Use this list to help you stay in touch with yourself and remain mindful of how you are feeling. Get creative and find things that resonate with and feel good to you. It takes some work but pretty soon you will be able to flip the switch and feel better fast!