embracing all parts of you.”
Glimmer On!
Happy International Women’s Day to all who are celebrating!
It’s this Saturday 8 March so plenty of time for you to show appreciation to the women around you.
Create a gimmer moment for them. 😊
Glimmers are those moments in your day that make you feel joy, happiness, peace or gratitude.
The term was coined by Deb Dana, a licenced social worker who specialises in complex trauma. In her 2018 book The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy, Dana notes that glimmers aren’t grand experiences.
She says: “they’re micro moments that begin to shape our system in very gentle ways”.
Such nanoseconds of bliss are sparked off by simple daily things such as seeing a rainbow, petting your pet, enjoying a sunset, taste of your favourite fruit, noticing a child’s smile, watching the fluffy clouds float by.
If you had paused to be aware and notice the pleasure you are experiencing, then your mental health and nervous system automatically benefitted.
Glimmers are different from triggers. The former evokes positive feelings and produces sensations of calm and relaxation.
The latter typically evokes negative ones and activate your fight or flight response, sparking feelings such as anxiety, fear, anger, sadness or agitation. Will share more about triggers in another Sunshine Inbox.
The good news?
You can train your mind to look out for such glimmers in your life. It is aligned to the technique recommended by Dr Rick Hanson on Rewiring Your Brain which I shared in Week 2 Sunshine Inbox (Are You Enthusiastic About Being You?).
Combine looking out for such glimmers in your life with the technique by Dr Hanson and you have a great tool for further enhancing your well-being.
This is especially useful when you find yourself tired, stressed or simply out of breath from your hectic busy schedule and endless to-do lists.
When my day is packed with engagements or when I spend too much time in crowded places which I am not fond of, I intentionally pay more attention to nature.
The glimmers I see in nature’s beauty instantly revitalises me.
It is tool that is totally free to use and has no side effects, why not use it more often?
When was the last time you were filled with childlike wonder, joy & exuberance?
Reflection
Action
As International Women’s Day is this Saturday, I invite you to spark off joy in the women you meet and/ or who are in your life and create glimmers for them.
Practice for the Week
For this week’s practice, let us participate in a “I delight in everything in my world” challenge. Each day, notice moments that create delight for you.
