I Get Triggered by the Stupidest Things | Somatic Insights Into What Your Triggers Are Really Trying to Tell You
Why Small Things Trigger Us
A student once said to me, “I get triggered by the stupidest things.”
And I felt such tenderness in that statement, because I know what that’s like.
Those moments when something small - a glance, a tone, a passing comment - lands in your body like a storm. You know it shouldn’t bother you (at least not this much), but your body has already reacted before your mind can catch up.
Maybe your chest tightens. Maybe you pull away. Maybe you feel that rush of heat or tears that makes no sense at all.
And then the voice of self-judgment starts whispering: Why am I like this? What’s wrong with me?
But there’s nothing wrong with you. Your body isn’t overreacting. It’s remembering.
Nervous System Regulation: The Autonomic Layer of Healing
Sometimes, when we’re triggered, it’s simply because we’re dysregulated.
Our nervous system has lost its sense of balance, often because we’ve been carrying more stress, stimulation, or emotion than it can process. When our system is already overwhelmed, it doesn’t take much for something small to push us into reactivity. A look, a tone, a minor inconvenience … all of it can feel huge when our body is already on high alert.
This happens because the body’s survival responses are activated. Deep inside, the nervous system is working hard to protect us and scanning for what might go wrong next. It’s not that we’re weak or overly sensitive; it’s that our physiology is doing exactly what it was designed to do when it senses threat.
I call this the autonomic layer of healing because it’s the level where we’re working directly with the nervous system itself: through breath, touch, movement, and gentle awareness practices that help soothe these automatic survival responses.
When I say autonomic, I’m referring to the autonomic branch of the nervous system. You can think of it as the automatic branch. You’ve probably heard people talk about fight, flight, or freeze, or maybe about polyvagal theory or sympathetic and parasympathetic states. All of those fall under the umbrella of the autonomic nervous system.
When we focus on this level of healing, we’re helping the body remember what safety feels like.
Through small, consistent practices of regulation, we remind the system that it’s safe to soften and exhale. From that place of physiological calm, we begin to respond to life’s moments instead of being swept away by them.
You’ll find many effective and gentle regulation exercises right here on the Somatic Healing Meditations podcast. Two that I especially recommend are EPS 097 – “Feel Safe in Your Body Again” and EPS 067 – “Daily Nervous System Reset.”
Somatic Healing and the Deeper Meaning of Emotional Triggers
Sometimes our triggers have less to do with what is happening right now and more to do with what this moment touches inside of us. A small interaction can awaken old pain within that’s been quietly waiting for our attention.
This is what I call the autobiographical layer of healing. It’s the part of us that holds our emotional history, the memories and impressions that live beneath our awareness, and the protective patterns that formed in times when we didn’t yet have the safety or support to process what we were feeling.
Inside every strong reaction, there is a part of us that is reaching out. It might be the child who felt unseen or unheard. It might be the teenager who learned that certain emotions weren’t welcome. Or it might be the adult who has been holding everything together for so long that the body finally says, "enough."
These moments are not failures or flaws. They are signals that something within us is asking to be met with care.
When we take the time to slow down and listen, we often find that beneath the reaction there is a longing for safety, understanding, and love.
When we meet these inner experiences with gentleness, they begin to soften. The tension that once felt like chaos becomes an opening. Our triggers start to reveal what is ready to be healed and, in their own way, become guides on the path toward wholeness.
Listening to Your Body With Compassion
Our triggers are messengers, but they speak a quiet and symbolic language. Each one carries something from deep within us that longs to be understood - a feeling, a memory, a need for love or safety. The parts of us that feel messy, overwhelming, or too vulnerable to show are often the ones speaking the loudest through our reactions.
These parts simply want to be seen and understood and met with care instead of shame. And when we listen, not just with our minds but with our whole bodies, we begin to understand what they’ve been trying to tell us all along.
This is the heart of somatic healing: the practice of listening rather than controlling.
Listening to the body’s sensations. Listening to the emotions that live underneath. Listening to the subtle call of your subconscious that says, I’m still here. Please meet me with kindness.
Healing begins in these small moments of compassionate attention. It’s the quiet turning toward what has been exiled, and the remembering that every reaction is an invitation to reconnect with yourself.
When you listen this way, even your triggers become part of your healing.
Listen to the full episode now!
Episode timing:
00:00 - Why Small Things Trigger You
04:52 - Triggers & Nervous System Dysregulation
09:08 - The Deeper Meaning of Your Triggers
12:19 - Somatic Healing for Triggers
16:17 - Conclusion & Reflection
Wonderfully effective regulation exercises mentioned:
What resonated with you most in today’s episode?
Do you feel like you’re more drawn to the autonomic or autobiographical level of healing right now?
Please let me know in the comments!
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Thanks so much for joining me today!
About me
Hey, I’m Karena!
I’m a somatic emotional healing coach here to help you quickly identify and heal the subconscious blocks, old emotional wounds and self-sabotaging core beliefs that are holding you back!
Want to go deeper? Sign up for my free upcoming training The Secret Wisdom of Your Triggers
Uncover the subconscious roots of your triggers + learn a new paradigm of emotional healing!
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