This Week’s Topic : Dealing With Triggers & Anxiety!
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CoCo
June 06, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
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ANXIETY
Anxiety is hella petty, and triggers are hella petty too. They pop off at the wrong time, every time. Triggers are what sets it off, it gets the ball rolling. Anxiety ever popped off in the grocery store or while you out shopping, and you freaked the f*ck out for no reason? Or you had a whiff of some shit that turned yo’ ass into Gremlin. Now you real pissed because you weren’t expecting to react like that or where it came from. There is a reason. Triggers are bigger than all that shit, bigger than anxiety, depression, drinking. Know what sets you off so you can avoid it. It is importantly to know your triggers? You have to protect your energy by any means and avoid them at all costs. We all have triggers, they are a part of our lives.
DEFINITION
What Is A Trigger?
A trigger is anything—like a situation, person, memory, sound, or even a smell—that sets off an emotional or physical reaction, often tied to past stress, trauma, or anxiety. Think of it like a mental landmine: it might seem harmless on the surface, but once activated, it can cause intense feelings of panic, sadness, anger, or overwhelm. Triggers vary from person to person and aren't always logical—but recognizing them is the first step in managing your mental health.
Trigger Warning: Avoiding the Drama Before It Starts
Triggers are like emotional landmines—you don’t always see them coming, but you’ll feel it when you step on one. Avoid the obvious ones: doomscrolling right before bed, drinking coffee on an empty stomach, or trying to make life decisions in a group chat. Also, stop saying yes to things your nervous system already said no to. Protect your peace like it’s on the endangered species list. Unfollow, mute, ghost—do what you gotta do.
HOW IT WORKS
A Smell Can Be A Trigger?
Yes, smells are triggers too. Triggers can also be scents or a fragrance. You ever smelled some shit and it f*cked you up? You want to run away or get the f*ck away from it. But you don’t know why. That’s a trigger. Classic definition. A specific smell (like someone’s perfume, cigarette smoke, hospital disinfectant, or even cookies baking) can instantly transport you back to a memory—good or bad—and trigger emotional or physical responses like anxiety, nostalgia, or even panic.
How It Works
Let me get scientific and shit, one of my favorite parts. Your sense of smell is directly linked to the parts of your brain that control emotions and memories—like the amygdala and hippocampus. That’s why just one random scent can instantly leave you spiraling making you feel emotional, bring back a strong memory, or trigger cravings—like suddenly wanting cookies, crying, or reaching for a drink (liquor) without knowing why.
CPR (THE FIX)
3 Step Fix (The mental “ctrl + alt + delete”)
Step 1: Pause & Breathe – Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4. Repeat. It calms your nervous system fast.
Stop 2: Name It – Label the feeling or thought ("That’s anxiety" or "That’s a memory"). Naming it gives you power over it.
Step 3: Redirect – Shift your focus: walk, splash cold water, doodle, blast a feel-good song—anything that breaks the mental loop.
Fast. Simple. Effective. Like emotional CPR.