Reframing triggers
Disclaimer: The content on this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Always consult with a qualified expert for legal, medical, or mental health matters. Use your own judgment and discretion when applying any of the ideas discussed here.
Here are some reframing ideas to help you break the loop for some triggers that you may experience. You can use this as a starting point, working your way towards a calmer heart.
Vulnerability to Harm
Belief: "I am not safe; something bad will happen to me."
Trigger: Hearing people have loud arguments or feeling that my privacy is constantly breached.
Reframe: "It’s okay if someone hears me. I am safe, and their opinion cannot harm me."
Shame
Belief: "There’s something inherently wrong or embarrassing about me."
Trigger: Fear of being overheard during private conversations, intimate moments, or even mundane activities like singing or snoring.
Reframe: "Everyone makes noise and has private moments; I am not abnormal or flawed."
Social Exclusion
Belief: "I don’t belong here; others judge or reject me."
Trigger: Feeling that neighbours or roommates are listening and silently judging me.
Reframe: “They’re likely expressing their own frustrations about the thin walls. It’s not about me.”
Emotional Inhibition
Belief: "Expressing myself leads to rejection or embarrassment."
Trigger: Fear of making noise (laughing, talking, crying) and being overheard.
Reframe: "The sound of joy, frustration, or sadness is part of being human, and it’s okay to take up space in the world. My emotions are valid, and expressing them is a sign of strength."
Mistrust
Belief: "Others will use what they hear to hurt or humiliate me."
Trigger: Poor sound insulation creates worry that others hear personal information and may exploit it.
Reframe: “My truth is mine to own. Overheard moments don’t define my whole story.”
Still becoming
An image depicting a quiet kitchen with a stove with a kettle, open recipe book, a little vase with flowers and wall art saying “Still becoming”