The Trigger Train — Why Small Things Make Us React Big

Why We Overreact

Ever snapped at something small — only to realize your reaction was about much more than the moment? That’s the “trigger train” in action.

The Invisible Build-Up

Think of unresolved emotional residue like pebbles in a backpack. One pebble isn’t heavy. But over days, months, or years, the backpack fills. Then a single tiny pebble — a comment, a look, a delay — tips us over.

Our reaction in the present is often to the collection of unresolved triggers, not just the immediate one.

Being Seen With Our Triggers

When someone sees us in these moments without judgment — when they recognise the backpack, not just the outburst — we begin to feel safe enough to unpack it.

Journal Reflection

• What triggers feel bigger than the moment they happen in?

• Where might you still be carrying “pebbles” from the past?

• Who in your life sees past the reaction and looks for the story beneath?

Seen is about creating space for those backpacks to be noticed, named, and slowly lightened.