Yesterday, I posted my most recent podcast, episode #128, “The 5 Questions To Work Through A Trigger,” with my guest Sherry D’Elia LCSW, CFEP. And, it had quite the impact this morning... on Sherry herself!

As I was wrapping up a client call, I hopped into my inbox to take a peek, and I found an email from Sherry. The subject of the email was "Stacey Uhrig Podcast Trigger." "Oh, S**t!" I thought. Did something happen with the promotion of our episode together that upset her?

When I saw the subject of her email, I felt a wave of activation in my throat and chest.

Hesitantly, I opened the email, recognizing that I was holding my breath.

Fear emerged as I anticipated a disappointment in her message that I may have to address.

As I began to read her email, I took a breath.

My jaw unclenchedMy shoulders droppedI sighedand let out a chuckle.

"Triggers are real," I thought as I read about Sherry's own experience with being activated/triggered this morning. I asked her if I could share her email with all of you as a real-time example of how triggers work and, more importantly, how her "5 Questions To Work Through a Trigger" can be applied in real life!

Below is her email (with her permission).

Does this resonate? If so, please comment as I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Hi Stacey,

I wanted to share my morning with you. Here it is:

I woke up and briefly saw my episode, # 128, 5 Questions to Work Through a Trigger, on Stacey Uhrig’s podcast, Flip Your Mindset.When I saw it, I felt surprised, excited and nervous. I gave myself a few minutes to wake up and then I went back to look at it and I couldn’t find it!!

I was immediately triggered, what a great opportunity to use my 5 questions!

My mind had started racing, I had a slew of rapid thoughts.

Question # 1: What were my thoughts?

I was thinking…

* Was I imagining things?

* Where did it go?

* How can it disappear like this?

* Maybe I spelled her name wrong...

* Maybe I saw it on Instagram and not Facebook let me check there...

* I need to put it on my social media, what if I never find it, what if I don’t do it fast enough and lose the opportunity

* Was it my previous episode or the second one that hadn’t aired yet?

* Should I email her and ask?

* Is it an old episode, why didn’t I ever see it before?

* Why didn’t Stacey tell me, let me check my emails maybe she did?

Question # 2: How did I feel?

I felt….

* Panic

* Pressure to figure it out

* Self doubt

* Stressed and upset that this was happening

* Confused

Question # 3: How was this familiar?

This reminded me of when…In my childhood I would see things that I would question, I would doubt my reality because it was too scary to process. I would also see, think, feel and say things and others would question my reality.As I am working through this and seeing how it is familiar, I begin crying as I connect with this part of myself whose reality was not validated. I instantly feel calmer and more clear.Question # 4: How did I adapt?

I reflected on how I adapted in these moments in my life….I tried to figure it out all by myself so that I felt in control and a sense of peace and calm. I would also disconnect from myself if I couldn’t figure it out and it got too overwhelming.Question # 5: What can I do differently today?

I can…

* Ask for help to support my desire to put my messages out there

* Take it slow

* Continue to put myself out there and when I get triggered use my five questions to work through it, so that I can connect more to myself and live with a greater sense of confidence and security…So when I see my messages out there I don’t feel surprised, or nervous, I just feel excited and proud that I am helping myself and more people to connect to themselves and feel a greater sense of peace and joy. Knowing this inner healing will help people improve their relationship with themselves and others and slowly light up our world!

Thank you Stacey for giving me the opportunity to be on your podcast and collect another piece of myself! I am so grateful!

What a gift this email was! It was a beautiful opportunity for me to look at my own triggers—to the subject of a simple email (which is funny because I address in the episode how simply opening my personal email for five years activated my nervous system!").

Has this ever happened to you? Do you relate? Leave me a comment as I’d love to hear how this relates to you!

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