How glimmers save your day

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Happiness is closer than you think.

The recipe for a happier life is straightforward. Just add more glimmers. If you have yet to hear of glimmers, don't worry.

Glimmers are the opposite of triggers.

While triggers cause aggression, fear, panic, or flashbacks, glimmers are tiny, seemingly insignificant moments and signals that bring back a person's sense of safety, joy, satisfaction, peace, gratitude, and happiness. These stimulate our parasympathetic nervous system, creating calm and relaxation. Glimmers are not big moments in our lives like falling in love, buying a house, getting married, or having children, but tiny moments that might only take one or five minutes a day.

A trend called "Saving The Day" has already appeared on TikTok. People share how they add glimmers to a bad, exhausting, negative day and save it, improving it.

How glimmers work:

You might not realize it, but as you go about your day, your nervous system constantly scans the environment for clues: 

When it sees triggers, it signals danger, and we have a stress reaction of "fight or flight." When the nervous system senses glimmers, it signals safety, and we enter a so-called "social engagement mode," where we feel safe, calm, and relaxed.

The activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is influenced by positive cues or "glimmers," plays a role in emotional regulation and may help reduce the risk or severity of depression. This connection emphasizes the potential of glimmers as a tool for managing depressive symptoms by promoting a more balanced response in the autonomic nervous system. ^(1,2,3)

How do we increase the number of glimmers?

For example, remembering something that reminds you of cheerful and carefree childhood moments is the simplest and most effective way. Or anything small that immediately gives you positive emotions.

25 glimmer ideas:

1. Cook dinner while listening to classical (or just your favorite) music

2. Wake up very early and walk through fresh, empty city streets

3. Play with a pet

4. Play with a child (if you have children)

5. Watch the sunset while listening to your favorite music on headphones

6. Dance to your favorite music

7. Create art (drawing, sculpting...)

8. Hear your favorite song in the grocery store

9. Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin

10. Get a hug exactly when you need it

11. Smell flowers or look at flowers closely

12. Enjoy the feeling of sand between your toes while walking on the beach

13. Mindfully enjoy the taste of your morning coffee

14. Watch your favorite childhood cartoon

15. Listen for and notice birds chirping

16. Look at a photo of a loved one

17. Watch a child laugh or a puppy play

18. Meet a barista who smiles at you while selling coffee or a driver who slows down to let you cross the street

19. Enjoy a compliment about your new hairstyle or outfit

20. Look at the stars on a clear night or snow falling on a quiet winter day

21. Unexpectedly see a rainbow

22. Smell freshly cut grass

23. Walk through places from your childhood

24. Look at the stars on a clear night or snow falling on a quiet winter day

25. Do puzzles

It's great to notice a glimmer by chance, but it's like a pleasant lottery. When we expect something nice to happen randomly and make us feel better, instead, we can list our glimmers and fill each day with them. Then, life becomes more pleasant overall.

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A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Warm regards,
Kos and Helen.

P.S. We are reading all your replies and responding promptly. Feel free to email me with any questions or comments you have.