Be mindful about your Glimmers, and you'll handle your Triggers!

It's Spring time... it's a time to shift habits.

Habit-shifting is TOUGH, so make it small. Make it micro. If possible link it to a specific time in your day.

I was in a meeting online last week, and one of my colleagues asked each of us about our ‘glimmer moment’ of the day.

I love the term 'glimmer'. It was coined by by Deb Dana, a clinical social worker who specializes in complex trauma. In her 2018 book "The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy," she refers to glimmers, as small moments when our biology is in a place of connection or regulation, which cues our nervous system to feel safe or calm.

In other words, glimmers are (internal or external) cues that help us to feel joy, or to feel safe or connected. It's interesting to look at the synonyms of glimmer: flash, gleam, glint, glisten, glitter, shimmer, and sparkle.
This could be your September SPARKLE shift!

Here is a micro-habit tip: at the end of your day, think about your 'glimmer moments'.

I do this intentionally. I reflect about these moments, at a similar time each night, while I am taking my evening vitamins and supplements out of my bedside drawer. I am already tucked up in bed. This is the last thing that I do before I pick up my book to read and unwind.

My glimmer moments over the last week have been:

• Stopping and looking at sunrise from the top of Westcliff Stairs (mid-way through a run with my daughter, and my Spaniel)
• A walk along Camps Bay beach in Cape Town last Sunday … my toes in the sand (I love that feeling) …especially given that I now live inland

‍

‍

I haven't spoken about ‘Triggers’. We all have these . They are danger cues that make us feel threatened, leading us to fight, run away, freeze or fawn.

I have found that when I am mindful about my glimmers ... I better manage my Triggers.

#BounceForward #MoreGlimmersThanTriggers #Dailyhabits #Mindfullyreflect

‍