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To Deal With Emotional Triggers By Yourself, Use The Five Whys
When your thoughts are stuck on repeat and your emotions are overwhelming, the Five Whys can be just the thing to provide insight, clarity, and calm.
Untangling emotions on your own can feel like trying to find stable footing on a gloppy lake bottom covered in algae: Hopeless and overwhelming. Insight feels out of the question.
It can seem like what’s called for is something massive and complex — like erecting a cantilever bridge — to get yourself out of the muck. It’s true that sometimes a heavy lift is needed — like lots of therapy or a massive life change. But first, it’s worth seeing whether something simpler can help lift you out of the depths of confusion so you can access a touch more clarity and perspective.
I’m talking super simple. In fact, while I first encountered the approach I’m about to describe years ago when it had a moment in start-up culture (my husband works in tech), it’s my 2.5-year-old who recently reminded me of its power.
In a classic toddler move, my little dude loves to ask why. As his mother, it can be maddening. But it’s also a brilliant, time-tested way to uncover what’s really going on. While my kid loves to freestyle his questioning…
