#38: Understanding and Navigating Trauma Triggers
JUNE 26, 2025
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What is a trauma trigger—and why does it have such a powerful grip on your nervous system? In this episode of Courage to Heal, we explore what trauma triggers are, how they form, and why they show up in everyday moments. You’ll learn how to recognize your unique triggers and gently regulate overwhelming emotional responses. Anna shares two powerful somatic tools—the Spiral Technique and the Picture Technique—to help you feel safer in your body and reclaim your sense of peace. This episode is a must-listen for trauma survivors who want practical strategies and compassionate insights to better understand their emotional landscape.
Episode Links:
Transcript
Anna: Hey there, and welcome back to Courage to Heal. I’m so glad you’re here.
Today, we’re diving into something that so many of us wrestle with—often silently, often without fully understanding it. We’re talking about trauma triggers. What they are. Why they happen. And most importantly, how we can begin to understand them without judgment, and learn to soften their grip on our lives.
If you’ve ever found yourself suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of emotion you didn’t expect—or a flashback that came out of nowhere—you’re not alone.
Let’s talk about it.
Let’s start at the very beginning—what actually happens during a traumatic experience?
Our brain, in its fierce effort to protect us, takes what I like to think of as a mental snapshot. It captures everything it can: the sights, the sounds, the smells, the physical sensations, even our emotional state at that moment. All of it gets imprinted.
That’s why, after trauma, we might experience something called intrusions or flashbacks. These are those sudden, unwelcome memories or body sensations that crash in like a wave when we least expect them. They can show up in vivid images. Or a certain smell. Or just this tightness in your chest you can’t explain. And I want to say this clearly: these responses are not signs of weakness—they're signs your brain is doing what it was wired to do. Survive.
Basically, your brain is reminding you of the trauma that happened originally – like playing a videotape in your mind – to prevent it from happening again. Your whole nervous system starts working overtime to keep you safe from future trauma. You can think of it as a loving parent issuing a reminder – hey, remember what happened last time you touched the hot stove?
And here’s the twist: usually, before these flashbacks come, there’s something that sets them off. A trigger. And here’s the thing—I want to gently challenge the idea that all triggers are bad. Because not all of them are. Triggers are just associations. Like how the smell of cookies might make you think of your grandma’s kitchen and Saturday mornings full of love. That’s a positive trigger. Some folks call those “glimmers.”
But trauma triggers? They remind us of the hard stuff. And they can make us feel like we’re right back in the worst moments of our lives—even when we’re physically safe.
So what is a trigger really?
It’s anything that pulls us out of the present and drops us back into the “then.” That moment in time where we felt unsafe, overwhelmed, or powerless.
And here’s where it gets really personal—triggers look different for everyone. For some, it’s loud noises, like fireworks or shouting. For others, it’s the smell of alcohol or the sight of a certain building. It could be someone’s tone of voice. Or even a feeling—like rejection or being cornered.
I’ve worked with people who were triggered just by the way light filtered through a room. Or the click of someone’s shoes down a hallway.
Sometimes, we don’t even know what hit us. And that unpredictability? That can feel terrifying.
But here’s where we can take our power back: by learning to recognize our own unique triggers. That doesn’t mean we’ll stop being triggered overnight. But we can start to understand the patterns. And with that awareness comes a bit of space. A bit of breath.
So, how do we start identifying these triggers?
It begins with presence—with mindfulness. That’s really just a fancy word for noticing. Noticing what’s happening inside us and around us before, during, and after we get triggered.
One tool that can be incredibly helpful is keeping a trigger journal. Not a fancy one. Just a place to record what was going on when a flashback or panic response hit.
Ask yourself:
Where was I?
Who was around?
What was I feeling in my body?
What thoughts were racing through my head?
What did I see, hear, smell?
Then, afterward:
What sensations stuck with me?
What emotions came up?
How long did they last?
It might feel like a lot. And that’s okay. You don’t have to do it perfectly. Start small. One entry. One insight. That’s how we build awareness.
Okay—so here’s the part where I get real with you.
It’s tempting to just avoid our triggers, right? Like, “If I just never go near that person, or that place, or that smell again—I’ll be okay.” And sometimes, that’s smart. Sometimes, it’s absolutely the right choice to draw boundaries, especially early in healing.
But here’s the long game: if we only avoid, we don’t give our nervous system the chance to rewire. To learn that we’re safe now. That the danger has passed.
What we’re aiming for isn’t to shut down the feeling entirely—but to dial it down. Think of it like a volume knob. If your fear is blasting at a 10, we want to turn it down to a 3 or 4. Enough that we can feel what’s happening... without drowning in it.
That’s emotional regulation. It’s not “getting over it.” It’s learning to stay with yourself, even when things get hard.
Now, let’s talk about tools. I know, I know—everyone says “Just take deep breaths” or “Say your affirmations.” And if that works for you, amazing. But if you’ve tried those and they don’t really cut it? You’re not broken. You just need different tools.
Let me share two powerful, lesser-known techniques: the Spiral Technique and the Picture Technique.
The Spiral Technique is about working with the physical energy of your emotions.
Start by letting yourself feel the emotion—don’t run from it.
Tune in. Where is it in your body?
Ask your body: Is this emotion moving clockwise? Or counterclockwise?
Now here’s the magic—start imagining the emotion reversing direction.
If it’s swirling clockwise, visualize it moving counterclockwise.
Sit with that. Let it unwind.
Just notice what shifts. You don’t have to “fix” anything. Just observe.
The Picture Technique is a guided imagery practice. I want to walk you through it with an actual emotion, so if you are driving or distracted right now – pause this and listen to it when you have a moment to yourself.
And if you do have that moment to yourself right now, let’s begin the picture technique.
I invite you to make yourself comfortable, whether sitting or lying down, and allow your eyes to close whenever you feel ready.
Choose an emotion you want to work with: maybe it’s grief, anger, shame, anxiety—anything that’s been close to the surface lately.
You may even want to think about something distressing that happened recently to evoke the emotion in you.
Let that emotion settle into your body. Don’t push it away.
Notice any images that come up in your mind when you focus on the motion in your body.
What do they look like? What colors? How sharp? How close?
Now step back from the image—see yourself in the picture.
Push the picture away… shrink it by 50%… drain the color… shrink it again…
Fuzz up the image like a camera going out of focus… shrink it once more…
Darken the picture, like theater lights dimming…
Keep pushing it away… until it’s just a tiny speck.
Now, destroy it. Burn it. Blow it up. Dissolve it. Smash it with a hammer. Whatever feels right.
Then take a deep breath. Slowly come back into the room. Back into your body. Back into now.
Notice how you feel after this exercise.
I hope that you take these two techniques and practice them in your own time, dialing that emotion down to 3 out of 10 on the intensity scale and then processing it by feeling it.
It’s all about managing that emotional overwhelm.
And if you want to learn more about emotional overwhelm, I’d like to tell you about my emotional overwhelm toolkit. It’s a mini course designed to help you understand your strong emotions – what they are, where they come from, and how to manage them.
The Toolkit takes you on a journey to understand yourself and why you react the way you do. It teaches you about 6 core emotional responses, 5 core emotional needs that trigger strong emotions when they are unmet, and finally, the toolkit offers 4 effective, compassionate self-regulation techniques that you can use anywhere, anytime.
What’s great about this mini course is that it’s available both as a digital course and as a private podcast that you can listen to on your choice of podcast platform.
If you are interested in this emotional overwhelm toolkit, check out the show notes for the link.
As this episode is coming to an end, I want to say this. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by your triggers, there is nothing wrong with you.
Your body and your brain have been doing their best to protect you. And now, with curiosity and compassion, you can begin to understand those patterns—and slowly shift them.
You don’t have to rush it. Healing isn’t linear. It’s not clean or tidy. But every time you pause, reflect, journal, breathe, or try a new tool—you’re building something new.
Thank you for having the courage to show up for this conversation. And for yourself.
If today’s episode spoke to you, share it with someone else who might need it. I would also be grateful if you want to rate the show or leave a review. This helps other people find this show and all the tools and support it offers.
Until next time, stay brave. Stay kind. And keep coming home to yourself.
