When people think of therapy, I feel like a lot of people imagine talking to someone and then feeling like their life is sorted out and fixed. As an occupational therapist, I get this a lot, where clients and their families expect immediate change from just working with or talking to me for a few sessions. In reality (sorry to say this), change typically comes from the work you do in between sessions.
I am a big fan of focussing on the control you have in your life even when your life is out of control, and one thing that fits into this is changing your perspective.
Most people are familiar with the term triggers –
A trigger, sometimes referred to as a stressor, is an action or situation that can lead to an adverse emotional reaction. In the context of mental illness, referring to triggers usually means something that has brought on or worsened symptoms
https://www.nami.org/recovery/understanding-mental-illness-triggers/#
Often times these can be small things even as small as a familiar smell or sound, and they can shift the course of your day.
But have you heard about glimmer?
Each moment of the day we have the ability to choose where we want to focus our energy. Good things and bad things will happen to us through the day, but we can start to take a little bit of control for how it affects you throughout the rest of the day, week, and onwards. A lot of the times society chooses to focus on the negative, but we can also focus on the positive!
Glimmers are small moments of pleasure that arise from the experience of simple things
https://www.hope-wellness.com/blog/what-is-a-glimmer-finding-the-opposite-of-a-trigger#:~:text=While%20triggers%20can%20make%20us,thing%20all%20of%20the%20time.
Just like triggers can be very small and specific to each individual, glimmers show up for us in the same way! Unfortunately with glimmers, we have to really bring our focus to these experiences in order to truly recognize their magic in our lives. Taking time to seek out moments of joy can seem silly but bringing that intentionality to your day can help bring light on darker times in your life, and enhance an already good day!
Take a second to think about something today that brings you a bit of joy. It’s important to remember that these can be as big or as small as you like, and you shouldn’t compare your glimmers to others. On some days something as small as the coffee you drink or the sunrise you see on your way to work can be essential to happiness in your day!
I thought as part of an example I’d list some of the glimmers I’ve experiences (large and small) from this weekend
- Going to the spa
- Finishing a book
- The beautiful red and orange leaves on my drives
- Halloween party with friends and getting to meet new people
- Snuggling my friend’s baby
- Drinking coffee in bed
- Going to the gym
- Compliments on my flower jeans
- Feeling a heavy peace in my chest
- Talking to my friend on the phone
- Sunshine!
- Cute coffee shop to do my course in
Collecting glimmers is a practice that sometimes needs to feel awkward before it can become more natural. Perhaps you practice sharing a glimmer with a close friend or family member each night, writing them in your journal, taking photos of a couple glimmers each day… whatever helps you start to bring these small moments to your attention! Today is a great day as any to start collecting these little sweet treats of happiness 🩷
Feel free to share your glimmers in the comments!
Check out my post on Instagram about glimmers ✨✨
Be Your Own Sunshine 
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