When embarking on the journey to healing, personal development, and growth, recognising and understanding individual emotional responses and their impact can be a useful consideration. Many may already be familiar with the term 'triggers' and what these look like to us personally, as well as the physical, emotional, and mental impact response these can provoke. So while triggers are associated with negative emotions, conversely, glimmers are linked to positive emotions.
Both terms hold some roots within Polyvagal theory, in which research deduces triggers as external cues that signal threat, which activates the autonomic nervous system, causing feelings such as anxiety and withdrawal, and in some instances, physical bodily reactions such as increased heart rate and rapid breathing. Glimmers are considered experiences that calm the nervous system and facilitate feelings of safety and connection.
Glimmers are considered brief moments of joy, inspiration, hope, or gratitude. These experiences can present in a multitude of ways, such as a fleeting sense of warmth, happiness, or calm, or as a sudden surge of inspiration or motivation. These can be associated with external stimuli, such as witnessing acts of kindness, experiencing beauty in nature, spending time with animals, or laughter with friends. These can moments can also be internally sourced, such as acknowledging the positives in our lives, reflecting on personal achievements, or moments of self-discovery.
Individual responses and experiences may vary from person to person, which can be dependent on personal experiences, values, and beliefs. Although triggers can be considered to have an increased lasting impact psychologically and physiologically, particularly where past traumas are activated, glimmers can also hold the potential of amplifying positive emotions, causing a ripple effect into the wider aspects of an individual's life and overall perspective.
Fostering increased awareness around these moments of joy and peace can assist in cultivating a more present and mindful way of being, thereby reducing the pull of triggers diverting our attention to the pain of the past. Attitudes and practices to adopt for the optimum benefit of glimmers can include:
Developing and strengthening mindful awareness by acknowledging and sitting with these feelings as and when they arise can help toward promoting more moments to appreciate.
Engaging with gratitude through regular reflection and expression of gratitude has proven beneficial to altering mindset and improving general well-being.
Journalling can provide an additional tool for building upon the above-mentioned; some studies find that seeing personal reflections or affirmations in our own handwriting heightens the sense of empowerment the activity can provide.
Participating in and seeking positive experiences and activities in healthy environments, with safe people can elicit glimmers.
The path to healing can prove to be challenging. Learning to recognise triggers and heal the wounds they touch can be overwhelming. Experiencing these moments of illumination and embracing glimmers as they arise can allow for a more comfortable journey and provide the opportunity for more balance within our lives.
Carly Ryan