Sometimes it can feel as though our emotions come from out of the blue and last forever.
The good news is that neither is true: Emotions are typically triggered by something that’s happened (what we might call an antecedent), either internally (perhaps by a thought or memory or physical sensation) or externally (hearing or seeing something), and they ebb and flow.
Sometimes it’s really easy to figure out what “set” you off and to make a quick judgment that “A” happened, which resulted in “B”. Such as, if you heard a song that reminded you of an ex-boyfriend, you might feel sad. Sometimes, though, identifying the trigger can be a little more difficult because it occurred earlier in the day or even last week. For instance, an argument you had in the morning may influence how you respond to request from a coworker in the afternoon. Figuring out what led you to feel the way you do can help you manage your responses and temper your emotional reactions.
As we’ve talked about, the trigger can then result in a cascade of thought, feelings (both emotional and physical), and behaviours. Essentially, this is your response to the situation.