Have you ever felt “off” during a certain time of year, but couldn’t quite explain why, Neighbor?
That very topic came up in a conversation with a client last week.
As we explored what she was feeling—unexplained anxiety, fatigue, a lingering sense of emotional heaviness—I shared my own experience with what I now call “trigger months.” The realization was eye-opening for her.
It reminded me just how common (and underrecognized) this pattern is—and how validating it can be to finally connect the dots.
If you’ve ever felt waves of emotion surface out of nowhere, surges that seem to linger for long periods of time, I hope it helps you better understand your own cycles—and reminds you that what you’re feeling makes perfect sense.
Triggers… and what you might want to know about them.
Most of us have heard of trigger events—those moments when something generates a powerful emotional response tied to a painful memory… photos… couples gazing into each other’s eyes… a movie or greeting card or even the threat of a company layoff…
Triggers.
But years ago, I noticed something different happening.
Every year, sometime between mid-August and early September, I’d start to feel off—a little more anxious, a little more tired. Sadness would creep in randomly. Whereas I normally slept like the dead, I experienced endless sleepless nights. My moods would shift with the wind. But I couldn’t always point to a specific cause.
Eventually, I realized it wasn’t “just a phase.” It was a pattern.
When I began tracing things back, I discovered that many of my Significant Life Loss Events had happened in September, October, and November.
Affairs—both suspected and confirmed—surfaced during those months.
An early, second-trimester miscarriage, after I’d been told there was less than a four-percent chance I’d lose the baby. This on the heels of my first-born’s death, following unexpected complications during delivery.
One fall in particular, I realized that my high “functioning” abilities couldn’t outpace—or outrun—the emotional pain I’d been masking. A daily onslaught of suicidal ideation, sleepless nights, and overwhelming fatigue were constant companions. It felt like every one of my Five Facets—the Academic, Emotional, Physical, Social, and Spiritual parts of me—was crumbling at once.
Even when I wasn’t consciously thinking about those events, my body was remembering.
I didn’t have the words for it at the time, but when I later read this quote by Bessel van der Kolk in The Body Keeps the Score, I could look back and make sense of it all:
“We have learned that trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body.”
That’s what was happening. My body was carrying the imprint—even when my mind had moved on.
Awareness Is More Than Half the Battle
Once I recognized the pattern, I started working with it instead of against it.
I began putting notes in my calendar that said things like:
“UP SELF-CARE THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.”
And each year, when I transferred birthdays and appointments into my new planner, I’d also transfer that reminder—because I knew I’d need it.
That awareness helped me rewire the way I moved through those trigger months. At the time, I didn’t know about holistic tools like energy healing, acupuncture, or meditation—but I did what I could with what I had: massage, long walks in nature, time with my dog, time alone.
These days, I can recognize the signs much earlier, before the trauma triggers carry over—and I do use a mix of mental, physical, and spiritual healing modalities. And that has absolutely accelerated my healing.
I now understand that a big part of the overwhelm is because what was happening literally encompassed every aspect of my being… those Five Facets. And now I know how to support them. Energy medicine is one of my go-to tools for creating healing for myself and for supporting my clients through their healing journeys.
So here’s what I want you to know:
If there’s a time of year that always feels heavier, harder, or hazy for an extended period…
You’re not imagining it.
Your body might just be remembering something your mind forgot.
And that’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.
Have you ever noticed a certain time of year when you feel “off”—but can’t quite explain why? What might your body be trying to tell you?
With love,
Annah