How to turn triggers into transformation
Have you ever felt like your body got hijacked in the middle of a conversation? One moment you’re calm, the next your chest tightens, your brain goes on overdrive, and you don’t feel like yourself anymore. That’s the nervous system shifting into fight-or-flight mode - and for empaths and highly sensitive people, it can happen a lot.
Ever feel like life keeps throwing emotional curveballs? In this video, I share the Empathics Equation , my playbook for turning triggers into transformation, plus a free worksheet to help you track your own breakthroughs.
The Empathics Equation: Turning Triggers Into Transformation
Recently, I had one of those moments. An exchange that would have normally sent the “old me” into reaction mode left me standing still, watching something very different unfold. Instead of spiraling, I could actually feel my nervous system coming back online in real time. My shoulders dropped. My breath slowed. And for the first time, I noticed what it was like to step out of fight-or-flight and into a more expanded awareness.
That moment sparked what I now call the Empathics Equation - a way of mapping what’s really happening when our emotions try to run the show, and how we can transform triggers into clarity.
The Science Behind the Shift
Biologically, fight-or-flight is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. When it kicks in, your amygdala (the brain’s alarm bell) takes over, pulling energy away from your prefrontal cortex - the part of your brain responsible for clear thinking, decision-making, and perspective.
But when you give yourself space to process, the parasympathetic nervous system can re-engage. That’s when your body signals: You’re safe. You can rest. You can choose differently. In my case, that shift felt like an air bubble rising from the bottom of the ocean.
Heavy pressure gave way to lightness. I could breathe again.
The Floors of Consciousness
Another way I describe this shift is through the image of an elevator:
Basement: The pain body takes over. Old wounds replay on autopilot.
Ground Floor: Fight-or-flight runs the show.
2nd Floor: Survival strategies take over (shut down, people-please, withdraw).
3rd Floor: Ego defenses rise up (blame, control, prove).
4th Floor: Awareness starts to return.
5th Floor: Heart and mind reconnect.
6th Floor: Perspective expands, and you can move with life instead of against it.
On the day of my own trigger, I dropped into the basement fast. It felt like being a scuba diver at the bottom of the ocean - pressure weighing me down, vision foggy, barely moving. But through journaling, sitting still, and letting the sunlight into my studio, I slowly rose. By the end of the day, I was back in my heart, looking out with new eyes.
Why Cosmic Weather Matters
This all happened during the perfect storm: the Lions Gate Portal, Mercury Retrograde, and a Full Moon.
Lions Gate strips away the false layers so your higher self can lead.
Mercury Retrograde revisits old patterns and asks if you’ll choose differently.
The Full Moon shines a spotlight on what you’ve kept hidden.
Individually, these are powerful. Together, they create a stage where transformation is almost inevitable. Knowing this “cosmic weather” helped me ride the waves instead of being taken under.
The Role of the I Ching
In the middle of all this, I also consulted the I Ching. At first, the reading felt cryptic. I couldn’t connect with it. But after sitting with myself and journaling through the storm, I read it again at sunset - and it was like a locked door swinging open. The message clicked in. My awareness expanded.
That moment of synchronicity reminded me why I work with these ancient tools. Sometimes you don’t hear the wisdom until you’ve cleared enough space to receive it.
The Empathics Equation
So what is the Empathics Equation?
Pause + Process + Perspective = Peace
Pause: Don’t send the text you’ll regret later. Don’t fire back. Stop long enough to give yourself space.
Process: Journal. Breathe. Let sunlight in. Do what helps your body complete the stress cycle.
Perspective: With space cleared, awareness reconnects with your heart. You see the bigger picture.
This simple formula has turned moments of overwhelm into turning points. It doesn’t mean I never drop floors anymore - but it does mean I know how to rise again.
Resource: The Empathics Equation Incident Report
To help you track your own moments like this, I’ve created a printable worksheet: The Empathics Equation Incident Report - Worksheet.
This tool helps you:
Record what triggered you.
Note how your body and emotions responded.
Map which “floor” of consciousness you landed on.
Log the tools you used to recover.
Spot repeating patterns over time.
👉 FREE DOWNLOADABLE WORKSHEET: The Empathics Equation: Turning Triggers Into Transformation
This worksheet is part of the Empathlete Training Kit - a set of tools for empaths and highly sensitive people who want to turn emotional overwhelm into clarity and growth.
If this resonates, I’d love to hear from you: What’s one trigger you’ve recently turned into transformation? What helped you rise back to a higher floor of awareness?
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Human Design is a modern system combining ancient wisdom and cutting-edge insight to reveal your unique energetic blueprint. Through Quantum Human Design coaching, I help people in Eureka Springs and beyond align with their authentic selves, break old patterns, and step into empowered living. Discover your design today by booking a Human Design reading.
