The Power of Glimmers for Highly Sensitive People
What is a Glimmer?
The term “glimmer” refers to an experience of safety, calm, joy, peace- a small moment where your system relaxes. It was a term coined by Deb Dana and is often described as “the opposite of a trigger”.
As humans, our nervous system works to keep us alive. Not necessarily to keep us alive and joyful. We are more likely to notice, remember and attune to negative experiences or experiences of stress because they’re threatening. So our system pays attention to the threatening and overlooks the joyful (a thing called negative perception bias). To prepare, to prevent, to make sure we’re ready to respond. And we might miss a lot of joy and peace along the way or more easily forget these experiences.
Why are glimmers helpful for HSPs?
Glimmers are likely helpful for people of all neurotypes! And- I would bet that Highly Sensitive People may be especially able to access turning their attention to glimmers courtesy of key traits of high sensitivity.
Highly Sensitive People have systems built for noticing- noticing sensory experiences, processing those experiences deeply and noticing emotions in big ways. Those very qualities of high sensitivity that can create overstimulation can be the qualities that allow us to soak in glimmers in powerful ways. We can really let the sense of small joy and safety wash over us, just as easily as the sense of overstimulation may flood us. Highly sensitive people can turn their sensitivity toward the beautiful.
What’s an example of a glimmer?
What brings a sense of joy, beauty and safety to my system might be very different from yours. These will be personal and may become more and more clear what they are for you as you open yourself up to noticing glimmers.
That being said, here are a few of mine (maybe we share some):
Morning light streaming through a window
The smell of coffee grinding
Toddler laughter
Living room dancing
My hands in the dirt gardening
Finishing a poem
Climbing into bed and pulling the blankets up
How can I get started with a practice of bringing attention to glimmers?
There’s so many different ways! Here’s a few possibilities:
Journal
Bring your experience of glimmers to journalling. Write about one glimmer that stuck out to you in as much detail as possible. The more detail, the more life you breathe into the memory and the calm it brings.
Closing of Day
Develop a practice of closing your day by listing glimmers. Maybe with yourself, maybe with a loved one. See how many you can list. You might find yourself beginning to spot them more easily as you train your brain to find glimmers to bring to your closing of the day.
Photography
Pull out your phone and capture an image when you notice a glimmer. Save them in a folder, print them out, collage. Whatever your heart desires.
I hope this blog has brought a bit of curiosity to the idea of glimmers. May your days be filled with them Sensitive Souls!
