When practising meditation with the goal of working on attachment, you may occasionally find yourself triggered by strong emotional experiences or memories. You might have anxious symptoms such as a racing heart or shortness of breath, or you might simply have a feeling of being overwhelmed. What to do when triggered after meditation is the same as what you can do when triggered in other circumstances, and there are always ways you can ground yourself. Here are some of our suggestions for how to return to your centre and find calm when triggered.
- Interest & curiosity
- Identification
- Differentiation Ah this is just a thought!
- Relating Variables: seeing simple cause and effect
- Integration: ability to construct a narrative. Use the pro-symptom position
- Decentration: Step back and remember that it’s not necessarily personal or about you
- Mastery: Getting things done and staying emotionally regulated:
- Compassion
- Equanimity
- Pro-symptom position
- Interest & curiosity
- Seeking help from others
- Perspective taking
Photo: Kamil Szumotalski
Do you want to improve your ability to regulate your emotions so you aren’t blown around by the changing winds of mood? You can start by memorizing the following six metacognitve skills.
Identification is the ability to recognize what is happening in one’s inner experience, and greatly overlaps with mindfulness. Someone with weak identification skills will have trouble knowing what emotions they’re feeling and is more likely to be overwhelmed by them as a result.