Thoughts vs. Triggers

Differentiating Between a Repetitive Thought and an External Trigger

In the TFAR model, the "T" can be an internal thought or an external trigger. An external trigger is an objective event that occurs in the world.

For example, receiving bad news. A thought, on the other hand, is an interpretation or creation of our own mind.

How an imagined thought (the death of a loved one) can generate a real emotion

The human brain has the amazing and sometimes problematic ability to generate very real emotions from purely imagined thoughts.

We can think about a terrible future scenario, such as the death of a loved one, and our body will react with the same response of sadness and grief as if it were actually happening.

The importance of emotional awareness in identifying the source (T)

Emotional awareness is crucial to being able to correctly identify the source of our feelings.

Am I reacting to something that really happened outside? Or am I reacting to a story I'm telling myself in my head? Knowing how to distinguish these two things is essential to being able to apply the appropriate change strategy.

Work on the root cause: controlling triggers or thoughts to influence feelings

If the source of our discomfort is an external trigger that we can control (for example, unfollowing someone on social media who makes us envious), that is the most effective action.

If the source is a negative thought pattern, the work must be internal.

We must learn to question and restructure these thoughts so that they stop generating unwanted feelings.

Summary

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