Triggers are sensitive situations or topics that set off reactions in people, over which they often have no control. Recognizing anger triggers helps you to remove yourself from the situation before it escalates. Identifying triggers can help you deal with them better and control your responses in the future. Triggers can present themselves in a lot of ways. Some common anger triggers are:
1. Unfair treatment: Being angered or annoyed by the kind of treatment meted out to you is nothing unusual. Being ill-treated by colleagues or family or friends makes you feel that you are not respected or noticed enough. So, you might get 'triggered' when a stranger cuts you in a line or interrupts you or when a child creates a mess. This way, you vent out the anger on an unrelated person or a natural behavior of a child.
2. Frustration and working under pressure: Not all of us are cut to work under pressure so, it's a very frustrating experience altogether, not to be able to deliver in time. There can be a lot of different reminders of the same frustration and stress. Like when you are caught in a huge traffic jam before for work or even a social gathering, getting constant notifications while at work, having a friend or colleague wait for you as you wrap some work.
3. Discrimination and prejudice: We do live in the 21st century but unfortunately, we are still not free of the prejudices of the past; discrimination, casteism, racism, and whatnot. Feeling angry with this systemic discrimination is very valid and it is indeed such a pressing issue. So, one can quite easily lose all control and snap at the slightest incidence of sexism, racism, casteism, body shaming, ableism.
4. Getting attacked: A lot of us have been victims of violence and abuse and have spent years trying to rebuild ourselves. Some of us repress the memories and move on. So, naturally, any occurrence of violence and abuse in real life or on TV or literature can trigger anger and fear.
5. Threats to self-esteem: All of us like to feel good about ourselves and so, our self-esteem is a very crucial part of ourselves. Nobody wants to lose their self-esteem publicly or even destroy the image they have themselves. So people tend to flip out when an external element poses a danger to self-esteem. It can be in the form of anything-- be it receiving criticism, finishing last in a competition, failing exams, giving a poor presentation, etc.
We are humans and there can be a variety of things bothering us and It's normal to have anger triggers. But letting the triggers get better of us is not normal. If something deeply angers you and is very personal to you, then you do not have to let that anger slip. However, you can choose to react to it in a more composed way, and that will happen if you start to identify your triggers.
One solid way to begin identifying your triggers is to pour your thoughts out in a journal. The benefits of journaling are immense from helping with anxiety, anger, and stress issues to capturing ideas and enabling self-introspection. But over the years, we have got worse at writing, and paper journals come with their own set of issues, from being lost to not being available when you need them. Venting out in an online journal as and when you are feeling fear or anger will help you create a pattern of your thoughts and help in identifying the triggers and better manage the situation.