Episode 4: Triggers at Work: When Feeling Ignored or Attacked Runs Deeper

Welcome back to the Bryght Podcast —where we unlock the power within you to rise, lead, and thrive!

I'm Wilhelmina Stöcker, and every week, we dive into strategies that help you build unstoppable self-confidence, master your mindset, and grow your business skills. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a career-driven leader, managing a busy family or simply looking for more fulfillment in life—you're in the right place.

Get ready to break through barriers, step into your greatness, and take action toward the life you deserve. Let’s dive in!"

Today we’re talking about something a lot of us go through but rarely talk about openly:

What do we do when we feel ignored, attacked, or misunderstood at work?

And more importantly — could those feelings be echoes from our past?

Let’s explore how to tell the difference between a real-time workplace issue… and a personal trigger rooted in unresolved pain or conditioning. And — I’ll guide you through some ways to self-analyze, release, and respond from a place of power instead of pain.

Let’s dive in!

The Moment You Feel Dismissed We’ve all been there. You’re in a meeting. You share a great idea… and no one responds. Later, someone else says the exact same thing — and everyone jumps on it. Or, a colleague sends you an email that sounds passive-aggressive. Or you’re constantly being left out of important decisions. You feel: Ignored. Dismissed. Invisible. Or even… under attack.

Now, sometimes — yes — this is about unfair systems or toxic environments. But let’s look at it from a perspective that you can control. Could it be that it is something that you attract and keep attracting until it no longer activates a negative emotion in you. We can call it negative emotions or lower emotions, and I am talking about anger, jealousy, envy, doubt, regret, sadness, fear etc.. that is being triggered when certain experiences or feelings are awakened within us.

Triggers Are Messengers Here’s a perspective shift: Every trigger is a teacher. When you feel overly hurt by being ignored… When you find yourself spiraling after a comment… When one incident feels so big it consumes your whole day… That might be a signal. A sign that this isn’t just about now… It’s also about then. That 8-year-old you who felt unseen at home… The teenager who got shut down every time they spoke up… Or the young adult who learned that being silent kept them safe.

Sometimes, our nervous system is reacting to a familiar emotional memory — not the current situation. Self-Check: Is This Reaction Proportional? Here’s one of the most powerful things you can do in moments like this:

Pause and self-check. Ask yourself:

• “What exactly am I feeling right now?”

• “What’s the story I’m telling myself about this moment?”

• “Have I felt this way before — long before this job?” Sometimes, the emotion is about this situation.

Other times, it’s amplified by a past wound that hasn’t fully healed. And when we don’t pause to check in, we end up reacting from the wound — not the wisdom. Rewriting the Response Once we identify that a trigger has roots in our past, we can begin to rewrite the story.

Here’s a practice: It’s called “Feel, Frame, Flow.”

1. Feel Acknowledge the feeling — without judgment. “I feel dismissed.” “I feel threatened.” Just name it. That alone takes the charge down.

2. Frame Ask: “Is this feeling familiar?” If so, try to trace it. “When did I first feel this way?” Realize — you’re not the child anymore. You’re the adult now. With power. With tools.

3. Flow Let the old emotion move through you — journal it, breathe through it, or visualize a different response. Then, respond to the present situation with clarity — not reactivity. Don’t Make It About You (When It Isn’t)

Here’s a key lesson: Not everything is about you. But the way you respond to things — always is. Sometimes, people are distracted. Or insecure. Or thoughtless. And it has nothing to do with you. So learn to ask: “Is this about me? Or is it about their own filters and fears?”

Self-worth and emotional maturity come from being able to witness a moment… without becoming the moment. Cultivating Emotional Awareness

Here are three tools to help stay centered in tough environments:

1. Anchor into the body. Notice your breath. Ground through your feet. Get back to the now.

2. Daily reflection. Ask: “What triggered me today? What did it teach me?”

3. Healing support. Don’t be afraid to explore healing — through therapy, coaching, hypnosis, or programs like the Personal Acceleration Program I offer. Because the more you understand your own wounds, the less likely they are to run the show.

Closing Thoughts Here’s what I want to leave you with: You’re not too sensitive. You’re not dramatic. And you’re not “overreacting.” You’re human. You’re layered. And you’re learning to separate what’s happening… from what’s being awakened in you. Every trigger is a portal. Every moment of discomfort is a chance to return to yourself. And as you do this inner work, your outer world becomes less chaotic, more peaceful, and more aligned. You stop taking things personally — and you start living personally empowered

Affirmations:

I am enough

I am self-aware

I am ready