Today, let's learn our stress signature and practice becoming the empowered "Watcher" of our emotional triggers.

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One of the greatest practices for enhancing self-awareness is OBSERVATION.

We may think that we have no choice but to observe the way we act, the things we say, the things we do, the things we are “triggered” by. That is observation on a surface level and we generally chalk that up to “The Way I Am…”. Most of the time we are on autopilot running the same old programs and conditioning that we have run for years and these states of being seem like “who we are”.

To evolve as consciousness and become more self-aware we need to become very observant as we travel on this journey. We need to become “The Watcher” as Eckhart Tolle says.

"Be the silent watcher of your thoughts and behavior. You are beneath the thinker. You are the stillness beneath the mental noise. You are the love and joy beneath the pain." – Eckhart Tolle

Psychological “triggers” can be tricky, they can be deep and hidden in our subconscious.

We have accepted them as ourselves, when actually they were conditioning that we adopted (usually in childhood) as a protection and coping tool. As adults, they are soundtracks and patterns of behavior that in most cases no longer serve us and in many cases are causing us higher stress. A “trigger” can manifest by any sense reaction. A smell, a taste, a word or phrase or perception. Many small and seemingly insignificant or unrelated manifestations that cause us to react in a patterned way. But is there any way to alter these triggers?

1) Learn your “stress signature”.

According to what science currently knows when we experience a trigger, our hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) kicks off a complex process of self-protection that readies us for three possible actions: fight, flight or freeze. Our adrenaline spikes, and stress hormones like cortisol course throughout our bodies and brain. Once these stress hormones are released, anxiety soars, and we often lose touch with our healthy coping skills and succumb to reactions like lashing out or running away.

Learning to recognize that you are being triggered as soon as the signs start in your body is the first step. Each one of us has a unique “stress signature”. One of three things usually throws us into the fight, flight or freeze response: increased heart rate, sweating or muscle tension. Pay close attention the next time you feel triggered, and see which of these is most prominent for you.

2) Pause, calm your body and focus on your breath and what you are feeling.

Document your findings. All of this information can lead us to greater self awareness.

3) Practice tuning into your body and what it is trying to tell you several times a day-triggered or not.

As stress levels arise our tendency is to tune into what is happening outside ourselves. We have become so conditioned to that feeling place that we have become disconnected from the wisdom our body holds. There are several great meditations that focus on our connection to our body. Try one. Document your findings.

What about you? What inspired you during today's intention on observation?

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