When You’re Triggered: God, Your Nervous System, and Finding Peace

We’ve all been there. A word, a look, a memory—and suddenly our whole body feels like it’s on fire. Heart racing. Muscles tight. Thoughts swirling so fast we can’t catch them. It’s what we often call being “triggered.”

For many of us, especially those with trauma histories or neurodivergent wiring, this reaction can feel like failure. “Why did I overreact again? Why can’t I just calm down?” But here’s the truth: you didn’t fail. You didn’t overreact. Your body was protecting you, exactly as God designed it to.

Step One: Understand What’s Happening

When you’re triggered, your nervous system takes over before your logical mind has a chance to respond. This isn’t weakness—it’s survival. God created your body with alarms that activate in times of threat. Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” That includes your stress response.

Trying to fight that first wave only makes it worse. Instead, let your body do what it needs to do—knowing God is holding you through it.

Step Two: Seek Safety

Once the initial overwhelm passes, the next step is to seek safety. This could mean stepping into a quiet room, calling a trusted friend, or even wrapping yourself in a blanket. Scripture reminds us, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (Psalm 18:2).

Your nervous system calms most quickly when you are safe. Let yourself rest in that safety.

Step Three: Breathe and Ground

Simple practices like slow breathing, box breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4), or grounding yourself by noticing five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste—help your body shift out of “danger mode.”

Job 33:4 reminds us: “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Each breath can become a prayer: “Lord, You are my peace.”

Step Four: Acceptance Instead of Shame

When the wave has passed, resist the urge to shame yourself. You didn’t “overreact.” You reacted exactly as a body with a history of stress, pain, or trauma would. Instead of beating yourself up, thank God for the way He has preserved your life and given you resilience.

Jesus never condemned the brokenhearted—He comforted them. In John 14:27, He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”

Step Five: Surround Yourself with Support

Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. We need safe people and safe environments. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” The more we surround ourselves with people who bring calm, safety, and truth, the stronger our nervous systems become in those moments of activation.

Dear friend, being triggered doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means you’re human. You live in a fallen, chaotic world, but you have a Savior who speaks calm into your storms.

So the next time the wave of overwhelm rises, remember this rhythm:
Pause. Seek safety. Breathe. Accept. Surround.

And above all—remember: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

You are not the problem. You are wonderfully wired. And in Christ, you are always safe. 💙