Cherish Your Glimmers

When we think about mental health, the word trigger often comes up first. Triggers are those little (or not-so-little) sparks that set off old fears, anxieties, or painful memories—like accidentally stepping on a Lego in the dark and suddenly remembering every single reason you should have invested in slippers.

But there’s another word, far more uplifting, that deserves equal attention: glimmers. If triggers light a fire of stress, glimmers light a candle of hope. They are the small, often fleeting moments that bring peace, joy, or a sense of safety.

🧠 What Are Glimmers?

Think of glimmers as emotional fireflies. Tiny, glowing reminders that not everything is heavy or overwhelming. Where triggers push the nervous system toward fight, flight, or freeze, glimmers gently guide us toward calm, connection, and openness.

A glimmer could be:

• The warmth of morning sunlight on your face.

• Your pet running to greet you as if you’ve returned from a year-long expedition.

• A song that transports you back to a memory of safety and laughter.

• The smell of coffee brewing when you’ve barely convinced yourself to get out of bed.

These small experiences don’t erase the hard stuff, but they remind your nervous system that joy and calm also exist—and they’re just as real as the pain.

💡 Why Glimmers Matter for Mental Health

Our brains are hardwired to notice danger (thanks, evolution). That’s why triggers are so strong—they once helped keep us alive. Unfortunately, the brain sometimes acts like a nosy neighbor, reporting every squeaky floorboard as an “emergency.”

Glimmers are the antidote. They gently shift your nervous system into the parasympathetic state—the “rest and digest” mode—where healing, trust, and creativity live. If a trigger is the smoke alarm going off when you toast a bagel, a glimmer is the cozy moment when you take a slow bite of that same bagel with butter melting into the cracks.

🌸 How to Find Your Glimmers

The beautiful thing about glimmers is that they don’t have to be grand or dramatic. You don’t need a tropical vacation or a life-changing event. You just need to notice what already exists around you.

Try these practices:

1. Pay attention to your senses.
   What sound, smell, or sight softens your shoulders? Maybe it’s birdsong, lavender, or the hum of rain on the roof.

2. Collect small joys.
   Make a list of things that make you smile—a favorite meme, a funny inside joke, or the feeling of warm socks fresh from the dryer.

3. Pause and savor.
   When you notice a glimmer, stop for a moment. Let your nervous system register it, like taking a screenshot for your emotional memory bank.

4. Create glimmer rituals.
   Build them into your day: a morning walk, five minutes of deep breathing, or ending the night with gratitude journaling.

🌞 Living in a World of Glimmers

The more we practice noticing glimmers, the more visible they become. It’s like wearing glasses that suddenly show you the details you’d been missing—shades of color in the sunset, the softness in someone’s laugh, the peace of sitting quietly without needing to fix anything.

Life may never be free of triggers, but it doesn’t have to be ruled by them. By recognizing and cultivating glimmers, you give yourself access to an inner sanctuary—a reminder that healing is not just about avoiding pain, but about seeking joy.

And maybe, just maybe, the next time you step on a Lego, you’ll also remember the laughter of the child who left it there—a tiny glimmer hidden in the sharpness of life.