Shift your mindset with intention

Written by Laurie Hillis

Hi, I’m Laurie Hillis, I love what I do: the learning, the process, and above all, seeing how my clients grow as leaders.

0

August 22, 2023

Image © by Robbin Lee via canva.com

Noticing your “glimmers” is good for your mental health, and a wonderful way to live your life

A friend once described the most wonderful benefit of learning to use a camera for the first time. She was delving into a new hobby of taking photographs with her new digital camera – a fancy one with interchangeable lenses and countless dials and buttons. She described her new hobby as bringing her a fresh, positive perspective on life. Let me explain. In her pursuit to learn, my friend started to see beauty in places she would have otherwise passed by without a second glance. She was intentionally seeking things that delighted her because she was seeing them through the lens of her camera. A broken down tractor in a field became the beautiful subject of a photograph that might some day grace the walls of her home. A group of children playing loudly transformed into an emotional record of the innocence and possibility of youth.

I’ve been seeing more examples of this practice of observing life through a different “lens” in recent literature on “glimmers.” Glimmers were first termed as such by social worker Deb Dana in her book, The Polyvagal Theory In Therapy: Engaging The Rhythm Of Regulation. Think of them as micro-moments that make us feel happier, hopeful, safe, and connected. And the best thing is, we can easily access them by looking for them.
Why should we seek out glimmers?

In a nutshell, noticing and appreciating glimmers support good mental health because they offer a “reset” to a healthier headspace when we are feeling negative or facing a difficult challenge. In a negative state, we tend to notice things that feed that feeling (think, self-fulfilling prophecy and confirmation bias), but if we can notice “micro-moments of goodness,” we have the power to turn things around by being intentional.
What can we do?

Look for your unique glimmers all around you. It might be watching your pet sleep peacefully beside your desk, or the sounds of children playing outside your window. It could be watching new flowers spring to life when the sun shines, the smell of your children when they let you get close enough for a snuggle, or, like my photographer friend, intentionally noticing how something rather plain or unappealing, in fact, exudes beauty.

When you’re feeling negative and looking for glimmers seems utterly ridiculous, try this:*
– Acknowledge what you’re feeling without judging yourself, and name it.
– Take a deep breath in through your nose, imagining you are inflating your belly with air; hold for 4 counts, then exhale everything out for 7. Repeat three times. This will help you “reset” your brain towards a more centered state, and activate your parasympathetic nervous system (the part that keeps the basic functions of your body working as they should).
– Visualize what someone who cares about you would say to you.
– Go seek your glimmers.
*Source: Perpetua Neo, Doctor of Clinical Psychology

Right now, take a few minutes to notice your glimmers and take note of how they make you feel. Remember the ones that bring you calm, warmth, and a smile. If it helps, write them down and keep them close for times you need a quick reset.

Let’s connect:

If you want to know more about Megatrain and how we can work together, drop me a line:

6 + 11 =

You May also Like

A Neuroscience Hack for Leaders Under Pressure

A Neuroscience Hack for Leaders Under Pressure

If you’ve ever experienced moments of intense stress, panic, or anxiety and have failed to successfully employ the typical techniques of calming the f down (deep breathing, closing your eyes, planting your feet firmly on the ground), it can feel like you’re just going to have to live with the fact that these moments are going to hijack your mind and body as often as they like.

Adapt or Die Trying. Why Your Workplace Environment is Key

Adapt or Die Trying. Why Your Workplace Environment is Key

If you’ve read my last two blogs and your interest is piqued, I hope you’ll find this final one on the topic of Adaptability Quotient (AQ) as interesting as I did researching it. AQ blog #1, Navigating the Fastest Period of Change in History, introduced the AQ concept, acknowledged the current period that is calling on us to adapt relentlessly, and explored the first key element of human’s capacity to do so: Ability. Then, in AQ blog #2, The Human Side of Adaptability, I highlighted the second – very human – key element of Character.

The Human Side of Adaptability

The Human Side of Adaptability

Following our exploration of Ability in my previous blog about the Adaptability Quotient (AQ), it’s time to venture into another dimension: Character.

0 Comments

Malcare WordPress Security