Jenks Hypnosis and Training Center, LLC

805 N. Fir, Jenks, OK 74037    (918) 298-6884
Located in Jenks, America, near the heart of south Tulsa

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Triggers

Triggers? Like on a gun?! Hmm - No. A trigger is a stimulus that causes a mental reflex or reaction which results in a physical or emotional response. Excuse me? Triggers are the basis of the emotions that keep you doing the things you do. Sometimes that good. Sometimes, not so good. For example - think of a pleasant childhood memory. Perhaps it was riding your bike with the wind in your face. Perhaps you enjoyed the times spent with Grams. Or maybe just a sunny day. All good stuff. Whatever that memory is, it may bring a smile to your face; fill you with a warm feeling; give you a sense of being loved. We react to what we have learned.

Remember the first time you learned about 'hot'? I do. I used to watch my mom test the temperature of the iron by touching it with her fingers. My mom has 'asbestos hands'. I didn't. When I laid my whole hand against the iron - well, let's just say I did it only once! Even now, after xx years, I still have that memory in my mind, my cells! If I want to know how hot the iron is, I press it to the ironing board then feel the cloth. Hot irons, for me, are a trigger.

As I said, some are good, some are not. For some people, thunderstorms and lightening trigger a fear - rational or not. For some, a trigger might be small spaces or escalators or boats on a lake. Anything that is associated with an event, a sensation, a memory, a word, a smell, a sound, a sight, etc. - good or bad - is a trigger.

Ok. Now I know what a trigger is. What's the big deal? The big deal is, when those triggers are attached to negative events, situations, etc., they cause an emotional response that isn't always good. If you have been through my SlenderSizing program, we talk a lot about trigger foods. What is it you just can't seem to leave alone? What is it you use to comfort yourself with? What food is your drug of choice? Salty. Crunchy. Sweet. Carbs. Chocolate. We all have foods that are triggers.

For people suffering PTSD, the trigger could be a loud or sudden sound or a memory that just won't go away. For smokers, the trigger is usually stress. For people with unreasonable fears (commonly called phobias) the trigger could be anything, snakes, heights, birds, small places. The list is darn near endless!

Ok. I get the idea. Now what do I do about it? Well, the first thing you need to do is to decide is this a good thing or a bad thing? If it is a good thing, you can magnify it and make it stronger. If it is a not so good thing, you can decrease its size and importance. This is where I come in.

Trance is one way to deal with triggers. We can discover the reason the trigger was created and decide if it is still a valid need. Then we can address that event when the trigger was created. (Remember, we aren't born with triggers, they are created by the events of our lives. When those events are negative, we get negative triggers.) Once the event is isolated and view with adult eyes and the child who created the trigger is validated, comforted and reassured - the trigger is released.

Now the other way is just about the reverse. We can create good triggers! This is what I do with positive affirmations. I create a new trigger and I anchor it to a visual stimulus. Again, my SlenderSizing clients know all about this. I give you an affirmation - such as "I am in control of all my eating habits." That trigger, to repeat the statement, is then anchored (attached, married to) certain stimuli. Every time you go through your morning routine. Every time you see yourself in a mirror. Every time you hear your name, the trigger (the positive affirmation) is repeated.

This process is great for high school athletes! Every time you hear the crowd, they are cheering just for you. (Notice I made no distinction of which side the crowd was cheering for or what they said.) It's great for golfers. Every time you address the ball, the sounds of the gallery serve only to heighten your focus. I even used it for a gentleman who was to testify in a case. His trigger was red (and I told him to tell his lawyer to wear a red tie that day!). Every time he saw the color red, he felt calm, nothing rattled his concentration.

The uses are limitless. So what do you have to lose? What do you have to gain?