Just like me, you might get triggered from time to time. (Okay, maybe more often than just from time to time…) Feeling emotionally triggered is not fun. However, it is normal and part of this human experience. Whenever I get triggered, I find relief in beautiful quotes from teachers, authors, poets, and thought leaders.
Beautiful and thoughtful quotes can serve as relief, inspiration and a doorway for introspection when you feel emotionally triggered. Quotes show us that even a few sentences can spark an aha! moment within us and open us up to a new perspective.
If you feel emotionally triggered and want relief and inspiration, find 10 of my favorite quotes below. These emotional triggers quotes will make you think and reflect on your emotions and experiences. I’ve collected these quotes in the last 5 years and I hope they speak to you as much as they speak to me!
1. triggers help us heal
Yes – emotional triggers are not enjoyable nor pleasant. However, we have to stop looking at triggers from a negative light. We need to stop blaming ourselves for getting emotionally triggered and we need to get curious. Put on your inner researcher hat and explore what wound this trigger may be protecting. What do you need to heal?
“There’s nothing negative about being triggered. It’s a calling to heal our wounds. It’s a calling to self reflect + to get curious about the reaction we are having.”
Dr Nicole LePera
2. triggers shine a light on us
If I had a dollar for every time I thought “this person triggers me SO MUCH”, I would be very, very rich. However, after going to therapy and doing lots of inner work myself, I now realize that my triggers have shown me all the parts of myself that I’ve abandoned + judged.
The parts that I couldn’t accept in myself, I would see in others and then get triggered. Ooft… that’s a tough pill to swallow.
“You trigger me” can be closely translated to “you shine light on a aspect of myself that I have been disowning, suppressing and/or denying and the judgment I have on that part of me is being projected outwards onto you.”
Matt Cama
3. our suffering is often self-created
Short and sweet. Most of the times, we suffer from imagined troubles. I’ve suffered way more from my imagination than real things that have actually happened. Have you ever triggered yourself just by thinking of a potential scenario? Yup, same. 🙋♀️
“Don’t suffer from imagined troubles.”
Seneca
4. Don’t fight against your emotional triggers
Have you heard the saying “what you resist, persists”? Well, it’s true for triggers too! Whenever you feel emotionally triggered, do not fight against it. Do not wish for it to go away. Feel your feelings, embrace the parts of you that might be hurting. Our triggered state is a protective mechanism, be gentle with yourself.
“Do not fight against pain; do not fight against irritation or jealousy. Embrace them with great tenderness, as though you were embracing a little baby. Your anger is yourself, and you should not be violent toward it. The same thing goes for all your emotions.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
5. Triggers are messengers
People are our teachers, and emotions are messengers. If someone triggers you, use this as a moment for self-reflection. Why are you triggered? What thoughts are running through your head? What emotions are coming up and are these emotions familiar? Listen to the messages.
“The people who trigger us, or cause us to feel negative emotions are messengers. They are messengers for the unhealed parts of our being.”
Teal Swan
6. triggers can also come from uncertainty
Very much in-line with the “imagined troubles” quote. We may get triggered by information that is uncertain or half-clear. Get your facts, check-in with reality. Don’t let your mind fill in the blanks. Why? Spoiler alert: it’ll probably create a dramatic, emotional story.
“How many times has your mind taken a small piece of uncertain information and spun a story that ends up consuming your thoughts?”
Yung Pueblo
7. people who drive us crazy
Once more, for the people in the back: people are our teachers! Observe the triggers you have, where they’re coming from, and listen to the lessons that you might need to learn. Use every interaction + person as an opportunity to learn.
“If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.”
Pema Chodron
8. emotional triggers are yours
Beautiful quote that may take a few times to read and re-read to truly grasp. Accept the difficult situations and emotions as yours. They have been created specifically for you. To help you grow, evolve, wake up.
“Your conflicts, all the difficult things, the problematic situations in your life are not chance or haphazard. They are actually yours. They are specifically yours, designed specifically for you by a part of you that loves you more than anything else. The part of you that loves you more than anything else has created roadblocks to lead you to yourself.
A.H. Almaas
You are not going in the right direction unless there is something pricking you in the side, telling you, “Look here! This way!” That part of you loves you so much that it doesn’t want you to lose the chance. It will go to extreme measures to wake you up, it will make you suffer greatly if you don’t listen. What else can it do? That is its purpose.”
9. triggers and speaking up
When we feel triggered, we may feel like we need to express what we’re thinking + feeling. That’s not a bad thing (suppressing our emotions is not great). However, check-in with yourself: is this your ego reacting or you truly want to share something that may be needed + helpful?
“Maturity is realizing that half of what you want to say does not need to be said. Being able to see the difference between ego reactions and helpful points that can uplift harmony or reaffirm your values makes a real difference. Speak your truth does not mean speak your ego.”
Yung Pueblo
10. triggers help us expand
Our triggers are here to wake us up, to help us grow, and to remind us who we truly are.
“Everything that seemingly happens externally is occurring in order to trigger something within us, to expand us and take us back to who we truly are.”
Anita Moorjani
Closing thoughts on emotional triggers quotes
I hope that you enjoyed reading through these beautiful quotes that help us better understand (and reflect on) the moments when we get emotionally triggered. Remember – you are not alone and being triggered is normal.
As long as we take responsibility for our triggers and commit to the inner journey, these triggers can be opportunities for us to learn and grow.
If you’re looking for a journaling practice to help you better understand yourself, check out my online class. Classes are not your thing? Read a quick summary in this blog post.
Thank you. I am a mindfulness meditation teacher. This is a great resource for inspiration for my upcoming meditation retreat:)
My pleasure!