Managing Triggers: understand your reactions and choose your response
Reviewed By
Donna Bottomley - Psychotherapist, MBABCP accredited, 10+ years in CBT and EMDR
Sometimes we can have an immediate and seemingly uncontrollable negative response to a situation. Your heart rate may increase or you may feel fear or anger. This is normal, and there are techniques we can use to manage our response to these triggers. With practice we're able to act more favorably when these triggers come up.
Free to try · Responses are private & encrypted
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What does the Managing Triggers Journal cover?
- A triggering situation you want to work on
- What it is about the trigger that causes distress
- Your automatic response when it happens
- Ways you would like to manage it in future
- What you will try next time it arises
Who is this Managing Triggers Journal for?
Helpful if you:
⚡ React strongly before you have time to think
😠 Feel fear or anger rise fast in certain situations
🧭 Want to choose your response rather than be run by it
For therapists:
Assign Managing Triggers between sessions once a client can name their triggers. Review their planned responses before the next session to build DBT-style emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Dr Harriet Mellotte
Clinical Psychologist & CBT Therapist, BABCP
“Offload is a fantastic resource for both clients and therapists. The world of CBT has been lacking an app which enables the sharing of CBT worksheets and homework tasks between clients and therapists, but Offload completely does this, making the service we offer more professional and the benefits to clients greater.”
Frequently asked questions
What is an emotional trigger?
A trigger is a situation, comment, place or memory that sets off a fast, intense reaction, such as a surge of anger, fear or shame, before you have had time to think. Triggers often connect to past experiences, which is why the reaction can feel out of proportion to what is happening now.
Can I stop being triggered?
You may not stop the initial reaction, but you can change what happens next. This journal helps you identify what it is about the trigger that causes distress, notice your automatic response, and plan a different response for next time. With practice the gap between trigger and reaction widens.
Is this a DBT exercise?
It draws on Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, which teaches skills for regulating intense emotions and tolerating distress. Understanding your triggers is a first step in both. Offload's DBT courses, including A Wise Mind and Using DBT in Everyday Life, build on what you learn here.
Can my therapist assign this journal?
Yes. Therapists on Offload can assign Managing Triggers between sessions once you can name your triggers, and review your planned responses to build emotion regulation skills. Your responses are available for them to review before the next session. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Are you a therapist?
Assign this therapy tool and 200+ other interactive tools directly to your clients. Build personalised care plans, customise tools, and review client responses before sessions. HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
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