Anxiety attacks don’t come out of nowhere—they have triggers. And if you don’t learn to spot them, they can pull you under like a silent current.

For me, the moment I hear an ambulance or pass an AED machine, my heart starts racing. It’s like being deep underwater—everything feels heavy and tense.

But over time, I’ve learned how to recognize these moments and come up for air. Kind of like a whale surfacing after holding its breath for too long. You rise, take in oxygen, and reset before diving back into the depths of life.

What is a trigger?

Anxiety triggers are specific events, situations, or stimuli that cause your body to react with anxiety. They don’t always make sense on the surface—they’re not always “obvious” fears. But for those who suffer from anxiety, the connection between the trigger and the fear response is very real.

For me, a trigger isn’t just an event—it’s often tied to past experiences and emotions. Triggers activate the brain’s “fight-or-flight” system, which floods the body with adrenaline, setting off symptoms of anxiety, like a racing heart, shallow breathing, and even dizziness.

Common triggers of anxiety attacks

• Physical sensations or health-related topics: For me, ambulances, hearing about heart failure, or seeing an AED machine can spark a panic response.
• Stressful memories: Sometimes, a certain conversation or memory builds tension and doesn’t fully surface until I’m in a heightened emotional state.
• Social situations: Being in a crowded space or a situation where I feel out of control can trigger anxiety.
• Overwhelming emotions: Anger, frustration, or even sadness can cause anxiety to rise—especially if I haven’t processed those feelings.

Sometimes, the subtle triggers—the ones we don’t even recognize right away—are the hardest to manage. They slip under the radar until your body reacts first.

How to manage your triggers

1️⃣ Give it space.
When you feel a trigger coming on, the first thing is to give it room to breathe. Don’t try to push it away or ignore it. Acknowledge it, and say to yourself, “Okay, this is a trigger. Let’s deal with this.”

2️⃣ Analyze the feeling.
If you can, pause and reflect on what’s happening. Ask yourself:

• Why does this trigger bother me?
• What’s the worst-case scenario I’m imagining?
• What can I do to safely navigate this?

3️⃣ Name the emotion.
We often avoid labeling what we feel, thinking it will make it worse. But naming the emotion is powerful. When I feel triggered, I’ll say to myself, “I’m feeling scared because I’m thinking about something from my past. It’s okay to feel this.”

4️⃣ Don’t judge yourself.
Triggers are part of your body’s response system. Give yourself grace. Recognize that you’re reacting, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay stuck in that reaction. Take it moment by moment.

5️⃣ Get some distance if possible.
Sometimes the best way to manage a trigger is to remove yourself from the situation—even if only briefly. Taking a short walk, getting a glass of water, or doing something mindfully distracting can help reset your nervous system.

Final thoughts: recognizing triggers is a long-term process

Recognizing your triggers doesn’t mean you’ll never feel anxiety again. But it means you’ll know when it’s coming—and how to handle it with more calm and clarity.

Think of yourself like a whale. You dive deep, sure—but you always come back up for air. Every time you rise, every time you pause and breathe and reflect, you remind your body that it’s safe.

And that’s how you move through anxiety—not by avoiding the deep, but by learning when it’s time to surface.