Seeking Glimmers
During the past week I've spotted the first lot of snowdrops in and around the village along with the first lot of daffs standing tall and proud. If I'm honest, this is the first year that I've really paid attention to what changes in nature have been taking place. I think this stems from an innate desire I've had to spend a lot of time outside, even if at times its meant simply standing outside the back door and drinking in the cold air. There is something magical that we get from nature that we just cannot get from anything or anyone else. Whilst I'm on the subject of magic, I want to introduce you to the wonderful concept of "glimmers."
Us humans are hard-wired to dwell more on the negatives in life, rather than the positives, thanks to something called our negativity bias; a cognitive process that is part of our survival system. This was super useful for our ancestors who had numerous threats on a daily basis to contend with, but the legacy of this drive we all have for safety can keep us modern humans stuck in survival mode and oblivious to the beauty of life. This is why the concept of glimmers* is so important. Glimmers are micro moments of joy and connection that we all experience on a daily basis, yet may miss if we're not paying attention. The awestruck bliss of seeing the sunrise, savouring the aroma and taste of our first coffee of the day, a warm hug from someone we love, or exchanging a smile with a stranger are just a few examples of glimmers. The more awareness we bring to these teeny moments of connection, (we can miss them altogether if we're not really paying attention) the more our systems move into the ventral vagal state of safety and connection. Building our glimmer reserves also builds the capacity we need to be able to ground ourselves in a regulated state.
As you move throughout this week I invite you to bring more awareness to the glimmers of life as it unfolds around you. Really notice how you feel in those moments of wonder and connection, and use the predictable glimmers around you to help anchor yourself back in when your nervous system has been pulled out of its regulated state.
* The term glimmers is credited to the work of Deb Dana, most notably from her book "Anchors."