Three-step method to interrupt emotional reactions

How to Stop Emotional Triggers Before They Control You

October 9, 2025 | Episode 5199

Host: Scott Smith

Episode Description

You know that moment when your mouth moves faster than your brain?

When you say exactly what you promised yourself you wouldn't say? We've all been there. Scott breaks down the frustrating reality of emotional triggers and why trying to shut them down completely is the wrong approach.

Here's the thing: You're emotional. I'm emotional. We all are.

The trick isn't becoming some cold, disconnected robot. It's learning to catch yourself earlier in the process. Scott shares his simple three-step method that anyone can use, starting right where you are today.

Featured Story

After 20 years of doing this podcast, Scott got an email from Eda, a listener born in 2005.

She's been listening since 2021 and thanked him for helping her into adulthood. She almost qualified as a "boost baby" - those second-generation listeners whose parents rocked them to sleep with Scott's voice in their ears

The timing hit Scott hard. Twenty years shakes him too.

It also reminded him why this topic matters so much. Whether you're just entering adulthood or you've been around the block a few times, emotional triggers affect everyone. Every age. Every stage of life. And the wine-fueled conversations with your spouse where you say that thing you swore you wouldn't say? Yeah, those too.

Important Points

Your emotional habits trigger your actions before you can do anything about them - that's the most frustrating part.

You can't control emotions by shutting them down, and the day you're not affected by emotions, you're probably not someone worth hanging around.

Training yourself to interrupt the pattern works, but it takes stumbling through the middle stages before you finally catch yourself in time.

Memorable Quotes

"I get paid to put my foot in my mouth."

"The day that you're not affected by emotions, I'm not sure I want to be your friend."

"By the way, these techniques do not work under the influence of wine. They just don't."

Scott's Three-Step Approach

Step 1: Catch yourself after you've done it - notice what happened and promise yourself you'll catch it sooner next time.

Step 2: Catch yourself in the middle of it - even if you still finish saying what you didn't want to say, you're interrupting the pattern and breaking it.

Step 3: Catch yourself before you act and stop it - this is the goal, and it happens when you finally see your lips moving but nothing comes out.

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