Wellbeing

Finding Your Glimmers During the Holidays

This holidays, rather than our usual reminders about holiday routines and back to school tips, the Wellbeing team wanted to introduce a very special concept… Glimmers. 

The concept of glimmers was developed by Deb Dana in her work with Polovagal Theory. Deb tells us that, “Glimmers are micro-moments of regulation that foster feelings of well-being. A glimmer could be as simple as seeing a friendly face, hearing a soothing sound, or noticing something in the environment that brings a smile.”

-(https://www.rhythmofregulation.com/glimmers)

This simple idea of noticing and giving our attention to the things that spark joy or feelings of calm is a powerful and radical act in a busy and often unsettling world. As the lexicon of therapy speak permeates our culture, we can become focused on the opposite of glimmers, our triggers. And while knowing what triggers our nervous system into a spiral can be helpful, it can also leave us hyper-aware and hyper-vigilant, always checking our surroundings to make sure we aren’t triggered. Glimmers help bring us back into balance, looking around at a world that can also provide unexpected sources of joy and calm.

 Deb makes the point that glimmers are not toxic positivity, they are just noticing what brings you a feeling of joy and calm as you go about your day. 

These holidays, we would love our parents and students to keep an eye out for their own glimmers, noting things that make you smile and give you a feeling of joy! Share these in your family and even with your teachers when you get back to school. 

I’ve included some snapshots of my recent glimmers, just to share. Recording these moments can help to save the feeling, and it can spark creativity by inspiring artworks or journalling to reflect on the moment.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, glimmery holidays! 😊

From Madeleine Azhar – Art Therapist