You’re Not Lazy. You’re Triggered: Why Knowing Your Stress Triggers Changes Everything
It Wasn’t Just a Bad Morning - It Was a Triggered One
I used to think I was just “bad at mornings.” I definitely could not be a morning person.
Wake up. Shower. Attempt to wake my toddler. Watch her move at the slowest pace ever while I tried to get us both out the door.
Traffic to work was horrendous. I never seemed to get there at the right time…
I was always frustrated and this always led to me snapping at my daughter and spiralling before 9AM.
It wasn’t just a hard morning.
It was a pattern. A trigger loop I didn’t even realise I was in.
What Are Triggers, Really?
We often associate the word “trigger” with major emotional breakdowns or trauma responses. But stress triggers can be subtle. Insidious. Repetitive.
Triggers are internal reactions to external or internal cues.
A sound. A comment. A delay. A messy kitchen. Even the idea of being late.
Your body stores these stress cues like code and unless you debug them, they keep crashing your day.
Signs You’re Triggered (But Don’t Realise It)
Here’s what being “triggered” can quietly look like:
- Yelling at your child… then crying on the drive to work
Feeling anxious just by looking at your calendar
Being “on edge” all the time, but calling it “normal”
Forgetting small things and blaming it on poor memory
Snapping at people over tiny things that wouldn’t normally bother you
If you nodded to any of these, you’re not lazy or emotional. You’re likely overstimulated and under-supported.
Why You Need to Name It to Tame It
You can’t manage what you haven’t identified.
One of the most powerful things you can do is ask:
What is actually triggering me right now?
For me, it was lateness.
Even when I worked in a more relaxed office where start times didn’t matter much, I still felt off when I arrived “late.” Understanding that this was a personal stress point helped me stop spiralling and start planning around it by creating solid contingency measures.
Not Everything Is Within Your Control - But This Is
I couldn’t control my toddler’s slow-motion dressing.
I couldn’t control traffic or coworkers’ snide remarks.
But here’s what I could control:
My wake-up time
Creating a realistic margin in the mornings
My response to stress, rather than reacting from it
And when I started anchoring my mornings in God’s word before anything else, the atmosphere shifted. Not overnight but enough to breathe again.
Triggers Aren’t the Problem - Unaddressed Ones Are
God’s design for your life doesn’t include consistent overwhelm.
His yoke is easy. His burden is light.
And while life won’t always be smooth, you’re not meant to run on fumes and frustration.
If your days feel more reactive than intentional, if you’re bleeding stress onto people you love – Pause. Reflect. Identify the pattern.
Then reset it with truth, grace, and practical strategy.
There is truly wisdom for the season.
From Triggered to Transformed: Your Next Step
Here’s a simple 3-step rhythm to begin identifying your stress triggers this week:
📝 1. TRACK – Every time you feel overwhelmed, stop and jot down: What just happened?
🔍 2. NAME – Identify the root of the stress: Was it a tone of voice? A time crunch? A belief?
🛠 3. TAME – Plan for how to handle that trigger better next time (new boundaries, different prep, reframed thoughts).