As we step into 2025— we’re stepping into a season of transition, growth, and breaking through adversity.

Challenges will arise—but not to break us. They’re here to shape us, to refine us, and to push us into the next level of our healing and purpose.

As Chain Breaking Moms, we’re no strangers to adversity. But navigating triggers, especially around our families, is one of the hardest yet most transformative parts of the journey. This is the year where we stop reacting and start responding. This is the year where we recognize that challenges aren’t setbacks—they are the exact pressure that creates the diamond within us.

So how do we navigate triggers with strength, wisdom, and grace? Here are seven powerful strategies to help you and your family break cycles instead of repeating them.

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1. Pause & Breathe – Regulating Your Nervous System

When we’re triggered, our nervous system goes into fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode. This is survival mode—our body believes we’re in danger, even when we’re not.

A simple breathing exercise can shift your body from a reactive state to a regulated one:
🔹 Inhale deeply through your nose for 5 seconds
🔹 Hold for 5 seconds
🔹 Exhale slowly through your mouth for 5-7 seconds

This helps lower cortisol (stress hormone) and signals to your body that you are safe. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to stay grounded in the moment.

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2. Name It to Tame It – Recognizing the Trigger

A trigger is an emotional response to something that reminds us of a past wound. The problem is, when we don’t recognize it, we react from our past instead of our present.

A powerful way to disarm a trigger is to name it:

• “I feel triggered because…”
• “This reminds me of…”
• “I am not in that situation anymore.”

By identifying the root, you take back control. Instead of letting the past dictate your present, you give yourself space to choose a new response.

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3. Step Away if Needed – Creating Space Before Reacting

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is remove yourself from the moment before saying or doing something you’ll regret.

This doesn’t mean you’re avoiding the situation—it means you’re creating space to respond intentionally. Let your family know:

🗣 “I need a moment to calm down, and then we can talk.”

This models healthy emotional regulation for your children. They learn that big emotions aren’t bad—they just need to be handled with care.

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4. Use a Grounding Tool – Reconnecting to the Present

When we’re triggered, we disconnect from the present. Our body is physically here, but our mind is in the past. Grounding tools help bring us back to the moment:

🔹 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

• Name 5 things you see
• Name 4 things you can touch
• Name 3 things you hear
• Name 2 things you smell
• Name 1 thing you taste

🔹 Cold Therapy – Hold an ice cube, splash cold water on your face, or drink a glass of cold water. This shocks the nervous system into reset mode.

🔹 Weighted Sensation – Press your feet into the ground, wrap yourself in a heavy blanket, or hold something firm to feel anchored.

These techniques work for both you and your kids. The more you use them, the more they become natural tools in moments of stress.

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5. Communicate, Don’t Explode – Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting

For many of us, we grew up in homes where emotions were either explosive or completely shut down. Healing means finding the middle ground—expressing how we feel without harm.

Instead of:
❌ “You never listen to me!”
Try:
✅ “I feel unheard right now. Can we find a way to work through this together?”

Instead of:
❌ “Why are you acting like this?!”
Try:
✅ “I see you’re struggling. How can I support you right now?”

This simple shift teaches our children how to express emotions without aggression—something many of us never got to learn growing up.

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6. Create a Family Reset Plan – Teaching Emotional Awareness

Triggers don’t just affect us—they affect everyone in the home. The best way to minimize conflict is to create a plan with your family before a difficult moment happens.

Ask yourself:
✅ What calms me down when I’m overwhelmed?
✅ What helps my children when they’re struggling?
✅ How can we signal to each other when we need space?

Maybe your reset plan includes:

• A family quiet time after big emotions
• A safe word when someone needs space
• A designated calm-down area in the home

Healing isn’t about perfection. It’s about creating a home where emotions are handled with care instead of chaos.

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7. Offer Yourself Grace – Progress Over Perfection

Breaking cycles is not a one-time event. It’s a daily commitment to choosing growth over comfort.

You will have moments where you slip up. You will have moments where you react instead of respond.

And that’s okay.

The most powerful thing you can do is recognize it, repair it, and keep going.

2025 is a transition year. Challenges will come, but adversity is what builds us.

We are not just healing ourselves—we are healing our lineage. We are teaching our children a new way to handle emotions, conflict, and love.

And that, mama, is what makes you a Chain Breaking Mom.

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Final Thoughts: Stepping Into a Year of Growth

This year will push us, test us, and refine us—but it will also transform us.

Let’s make 2025 the year we step fully into our power. Not by avoiding adversity, but by using it to become stronger, wiser, and more resilient than ever before.

What’s one tool that helps you handle triggers in tough moments?

Drop your thoughts below! ⬇️