Do you have a ‘relationship trigger’?

Christmas time is coming up. Whether you celebrate it or not, it typically means holiday time and more time with family. And for many of us that can be tricky.

We already start anticipating what we are going to experience with those people that challenge us. My brother is likely to be reading this blog so I will tread carefully (or use this as an opportunity to say that if I don’t watch him inhale a whole chicken in 2 bites then I won’t be triggered by his ‘stealth’ eating style).

So avoidance is one strategy. Or what about anticipating what will come and being ready for it?

Being human, we are likely to be triggered by people and the world around us for the rest of our lives. This is normal. Especially when we have a history with someone. Or they have a trait that tends to wind us up. Getting ahead of our triggers though is a game changer. Knowing that they might pop up means we are more able to navigate them, rather than being surprised by them.

What we want to do is keep our nervous system as calm and cared for as we can. Knowing that we will be triggered is important for this.

The key is being more interested in seeing them than getting lost in the experience of them.

There are typically 6 triggers I see in the workplace. The relationship trigger is one of them. We launched our ‘What triggers me off’ diagnostic last week to help people understand what does trigger them. Why don’t you do the same?