How can you recognize and address emotional triggers in the workplace?

1 Identify your own triggers

The first step to dealing with emotional triggers is to know what they are for you. You can start by reflecting on your past experiences and noticing what situations, people, or topics tend to elicit strong emotions in you. You can also ask for feedback from trusted colleagues or mentors, or use a self-assessment tool like the Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) test. Once you have a list of your triggers, you can analyze them and understand why they affect you so much. For example, you might realize that you get angry when someone interrupts you because you value respect and autonomy, or that you feel anxious when you have to present to a large audience because you fear rejection or criticism.

3 Address the root causes

The third step to dealing with emotional triggers is to address the root causes of them, and to find solutions or alternatives that can reduce or eliminate them. You can do this by communicating with the person or group that triggered you and listening to their perspective and concerns, negotiating or compromising on the issues or expectations that caused the conflict or disagreement, seeking support or guidance from your manager, peers, or coach, changing your mindset or attitude towards the situation and reframing it as a challenge or a learning opportunity, and seeking feedback or recognition for your achievements or contributions. Celebrating your successes or progress can also help you cope with emotional triggers.

4 Leverage your triggers

The fourth step to dealing with emotional triggers is to leverage them as opportunities for growth and improvement. You can identify the positive aspects or outcomes of your emotional reactions, such as increased motivation or passion, and recognize the strengths or values that underlie your triggers, such as integrity or excellence. Developing new skills or competencies, such as communication, collaboration, or leadership, can help you cope better with your triggers. Moreover, seeking new experiences or challenges that stretch you beyond your comfort zone can help you overcome your fears and limitations. Finally, sharing your insights or lessons learned with others can inspire or mentor them to deal with their own triggers.

5 Prevent future triggers

The fifth step to dealing with emotional triggers is to prevent them from happening again, or to minimize their impact. Setting clear and realistic goals and expectations, establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries and norms, building trust and rapport, practicing self-care and wellness, and reviewing and evaluating your performance are all ways to do this. Additionally, it is important to communicate effectively, respect the boundaries and norms you have set, foster a culture of feedback and collaboration, manage your stress and energy levels, and celebrate your achievements and improvements.

6 Lead by example

The sixth and final step to dealing with emotional triggers is to lead by example, and to model the behaviors and attitudes that you want to see in others. To do this, it is important to be aware of your own emotions and triggers, and how they affect your actions and decisions. Additionally, you should be open and transparent about your feelings and needs, as well as respectful and empathetic towards others' emotions and triggers. Moreover, it is beneficial to be proactive in addressing and resolving any issues or conflicts that arise from emotional triggers. Finally, it is important to be supportive and encouraging of others' growth and improvement in order to leverage and prevent emotional triggers.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?