I am a believer in glimmers.
A glimmer is the opposite of a trigger.
It is something that brings you a sense of calm and a feeling of joy.
Glimmers for me include a clean bedroom and fresh sheets.
A trigger for me is a messy bedroom with crumbs in the sheets and the dogs taking up most of the quality real estate on the mattress.
The problem is, glimmers take up a sliver of my time and triggers are truly tricky.
A glimmer for me is having five minutes in the sun-filled car to listen to a podcast of my own choice.
A definite glimmer is simply watching my dogs.
I love to look at their tiny paws while they sleep or just see them being silly.
Other glimmers include looking at row upon row of books and drinking in their beauty, taking perfectly cooked nachos out of the oven, picking flowers, wearing my Dad’s old flannelette shirt, and sipping that first cup of coffee every morning.
Other glimmers include just smelling and seeing the ocean, knowing I have a new toothbrush, and touching our old wooden kitchen table.
Want more free local news? Follow Sunshine Coast News on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
On the surface of this, there is nothing remarkable in it all.
However, according to Deb Dana, an American mental health expert and author specialising in complex trauma, glimmers help to regulate our nervous system.
It is a term only coined five years ago.
Dana says glimmers are the fleeting and small moments of peace and joy that bring us back to safety and connection, but triggers are signs of danger and stress.
In our loud and busy lives, many of us have overworked nervous systems and this explains why the smallest thing can trigger us and cause instant fury or anxiety.
So, this week, we all have permission to feel less triggered by the world and instead focus on new ‘beglimmerings’ of magic and glitter.
Sami Muirhead is a radio announcer, blogger and commentator. For more from Sami, tune into Mix FM.
