Glimmers: A Simple Way to Find Magic in the Ordinary
Subtle micro-moments that spark joy, happiness, peace, or gratitude
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In a world where stress is as common as forgotten passwords, “glimmers” have emerged as a nice gentle antidote. Think of glimmers as the opposite of triggers—they’re those fleeting, often overlooked moments that spark joy, happiness, calm, gratitude and connection. Tiny flashes of light that reduce stress in the middle of our overly caffeinated, perpetually overwhelmed lives. It’s the smell of your fresh coffee brewing, the feel of sunshine on your skin, a hummingbird outside your window, your favorite song coming on, or the sound of rain gently tapping on your window. If triggers are the emotional equivalent of a cold shower (not the wellness ritual kind but the kind when the hot water is out), glimmers are like someone handing you a cup of tea and wrapping you in a blanket, they’re little life rafts for our nervous system.
The term “glimmers” was coined by Deb Dana, queen of Polyvagal Theory, which is a fancy way of explaining how your nervous system reacts to stress and safety. Triggers send your body into full-on fight-or-flight mode, but glimmers? Glimmers are the “Do Not Disturb” button for your nervous system. They slow your heart rate, make your brain stop and—just for a moment—everything feels… still. Why? Because glimmers activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the part that reminds you that life isn’t all chaos and that safety, hope, and calm are still there to catch you.
And here’s where it gets good: glimmers are everywhere, waiting for you to notice them. You can train your brain to mindfully catch them. Maybe it’s your dog doing something absurdly cute, or spotting a heart-shaped cloud, or hearing your children’s laughter which hits just right. It’s about acknowledging the little joys of the ordinary, enjoying the micro-moments and creating an emotional savings account, where every tiny deposit adds up. If they’re hard for you to spot, Deb Dana recommends, “Setting an intention is a way to support this new practice. My glimmer intention is to look for the glimmers on my path today waiting for me to find them.” And if that doesn’t work that’s where the magic of a “glimmer notebook” comes in, “When we know where we predictably find glimmers, we can make a practice of returning to those places and experiencing the ventral vagal energy they offer. Keep a glimmer notebook or find a place to note them in your journal,” she says.
Yes, it sounds a bit self-help-y, but by jotting down the little things that made you pause, smile, or feel even a millisecond of peace, over time, you may find yourself spotting these moments regularly resulting in a free and easy self-care regular ritual. An art of embracing little moments of joy which are waiting everywhere just for you!
So, what are your glimmers? Do me a favor and look out for them today.
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Thank you for sharing this. As someone who lives with PTSD and experiences flashbacks, I love the concept of "glimmers".