The term ‘glimmers’ was something unknown to me until only this week, when during my lessons, I learned its meaning in this context for the first time. Although it’s true in today’s digital age that the promotion of wellness trends are gathering momentum, we are still inclined to analyse and even obsess over what has gone wrong in our lives. While our inherant bias towards negativity plays a major role in these actions, exonerating us from some of the blame, we still have control over finding a means of overriding some of this negativity by looking for what is good in our lives. Recognise your ‘glimmers’ and boost your own wellbeing.
What are glimmers?
Think about that rush of happiness you get when you take that first sip of your morning coffee or the videos of penguin fails on YouTube that make you feel amused (that might just be me!) – you can watch some here. These fleeting moments of happiness and joy are what have been coined ‘glimmers’. These unforced, natural moments can accumulate to make our lives more genuinely fulfilling, while also reminding us that it doesn’t always take grand gestures or monumental achievements to boost our wellbeing.
Tips for noticing and embracing glimmers
- Practice mindfulness: Appreaciating that first sip of coffee can help to be fully engaged in the present, or by acknowledging simple pleasures, like the hot water on your face as you enjoy your morning shower. Mindfulness doesn’t have to be as complicated as we might think.
- Share your happiness: We should be able to share our happiness and success with others, right? While it may seem that others are disinterested and unenthusiastic, there is always that person with whom you feel at ease, and discussing happy moments with them not only spreads joy, but can also help you to unwind and form deeper connections with loved one.
- Appreciate the world around us: It’s not always easy to appreaciate nature when you’re looking up into another dark rain cloud, or in contrast, waking up on the seventh consequetive day of a heatwave. But we all have opportunities to enjoy nature, whether it be a sunset, the beauty of a neighbour’s garden, or taking a stroll in the park. It’s sometimes just a case of taking time to observe it.
- Slow down: It’s easier said than done, I get it, as the stresses of everday life weigh heavily on our shoulders, but I’m pretty sure that all of us can find just a few extra minutes to be more present in the moment. Maybe the ‘to-don’t list’ that was discussed in this previous post might give you that helping hand.
While focusing on the nagative may come more naturally to us, myself included, and the idea of 24/7 positivity may be ridiculous, allowing ourselves to truly enjoy these simple moments of pleasure more actively and frequently is not a lot to ask, is it? We may be denying ourselves the pleasures that could chalk up to making our lives genuinly more satisfying. I have at least started to make an effort to be more aware of the ‘glimmers’ that surround me, albeit the pull towards the dark side that is negativity too much to resist at times.
Here are my top five ‘glimmers’ right now, I would love to read yours in the comment section:
1. Choosing a holiday destination that you haven’t been to before.
2. Listening to my favourite song.
3. The feeling you get knowing that tomorrow is the first day of your holiday.
4. Enjoying a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning (any morning really!).
5. Getting a quiet moment to myself.
Go on, boost you wellbeing today!
