An emotional hijacking is something you do to yourself, or rather your amygdala does to you when you get triggered by an unexpected or very unpleasant event. This happens when your emotions overtake your thought processes and your executive functioning goes offline. It’s when the smart part of the brain gets beaten by the ancient lizard part.
These moments can be filled with fear or anger or a range of other unpleasant emotions. Here are some of the reasons people get triggered so quickly:
Events from the past have not been properly worked though
Somebody is pushing your buttons
There are current life stressors you are having difficulty managing
You have found out devastating news like a partner having an affair
You and your partner have the same argument over and over
You have little to no self-care and others always seem to come first
The good news is that we have tools to help you combat these nasty occurrences and get you back on track. We also have ways to avoid going there in the first place. If you need help avoiding or working through an emotional stress, then give us a call so we can give you all we know. But we don’t want to leave you without a few tools.
First, remember to take several very deep breaths and intentionally notice what is happening. Realize you are going to that place again and take a step back. Before your smart brain goes completely offline, do your best to not get lost in the emotional lizard brain. In the beginning, this takes substantial effort. After some practice, this becomes much easier.
We would love to give you a plethora of additional tools that we know work wonders. Call us today!