Noticing natural glimmers

Modern urban life can be full of triggers which send our nervous system into  a stress response. We are all too familiar with these negative moments in our day and we can have the tendency to dwell on them because of our natural propensity for negative bias. However, have you ever considered what the opposite of a trigger might be? ‘Glimmers’ are the opposite and these little moments that capture our attention give us a glimmer of joy that can calm our nervous system down and help us to feel happy, hopeful and safe.

Glimmers can be found in all areas of your life. They might include a warm smile from a stranger, a pet doing something amusing, the smell of a freshly baked cake, or something you notice in nature. Even in an urban area nature-based glimmers are relatively easy to find. It could be a lyrical bird song wafting in through the window, a beautiful sky, seeing the light filtering through the leaves of a tree, the warmth of the sun on your skin, the scent of a flower, a butterfly that lands right in front of you, or fox cubs playing in the park…the list of possibilities is endless.

A glimmer can be such a fleeting moment, but we can train ourselves to extend these moments a little longer and really soak up the beauty and the positive emotions that they bring. Why not just sit and focus on the bird song for as long as you can, or sit for a longer period and watch how the sky changes over time?

We can also train are brains to actively look for glimmers during the day. Nature is a great place to start.  I suspect this is because we evolved in nature, so it naturally gives us solace. Just going out for a walk in your local greenspace and being open to the possibility that you might encounter a glimmer is a good place to begin. It is best to go for your walk with your full attention. Don’t go with headphones in listening to a podcast, as you might miss that beautiful bird song, or being distracted constantly by your phone, as you might miss the fox cubs playing in the distance. If you go out for a  daily walk, why not set the intention before you go that you will aim to find at least one glimmer during your walk. When you find something that brings you joy or delight, lean into that moment, stretch it a little and really enjoy it. When you get home make a note of it in your journal. Over time you can try to extend this to other areas of your life and start to notice those glimmers too.

Intentionally searching for glimmers to boost our sense of joy and peace can also be used in tandem with a gratitude practice which also boosts our wellbeing. Why not give it a go?

God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us - in the dreariest and most dreaded moments - can see a possibility of hope. - Maya Angelou

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