This week, I’d like to invite you to become a detective of your own nervous system.
Not a judge.
Not a fixer.
Not a problem-solver.
Just a curious observer.
The goal is not to change anything right now. The goal is simply to notice.
Many of us move through life on autopilot, unaware of the subtle ways our nervous system is responding to our environment. When we begin paying attention, we start to see patterns. We learn what tends to activate our protective responses and what helps us feel more connected, supported, or at ease.
This is where the concepts of triggers and glimmers can be helpful.
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What is a Trigger?
A trigger is anything your nervous system experiences as a cue of danger, stress, overwhelm, pressure, or disconnection.
Triggers are often associated with big events, but they can be surprisingly ordinary.
Examples might include:
• Being criticized
• Feeling rushed
• Conflict with a loved one
• Financial worries
• Feeling ignored or misunderstood
• An email, phone call, smell, sound, place, or memory
When a trigger shows up, your nervous system may move into protection.
You might notice:
• Tension in your body
• Racing thoughts
• Anxiety or worry
• Irritation or frustration
• An urge to withdraw
• Feeling shut down, numb, or disconnected
These responses are not signs that something is wrong with you.
They are signs that your nervous system is doing what it has learned to do: protect you.
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What is a Glimmer?
A glimmer is often described as the opposite of a trigger.
It is a small moment that your nervous system registers as pleasant, connecting, settling, supportive, or safe enough.
Notice the phrase safe enough.
A glimmer doesn’t have to make you feel completely calm, healed, or happy.
Sometimes it is simply a moment that feels a little softer, a little lighter, or a little more manageable than the moment before.
A glimmer might be:
• The warmth of the sun on your face
• A smile from a stranger
• A hug from someone you trust
• Hearing a friend’s voice
• A delicious meal
• Your pet greeting you at the door
• A favorite song
• The feeling of your feet on the ground
• A moment in nature
These experiences may seem small, but they matter because they provide your nervous system with real, present-moment experiences of connection, comfort, pleasure, or support.
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Why Are We Noticing Both?
Some people hear about glimmers and immediately worry:
“What if I can’t find any?”
Or:
“Am I supposed to be collecting more glimmers?”
Or even:
“Now I have one more thing I’m getting wrong.”
If you notice that happening, take a breath.
That’s not the purpose of this practice.
The goal is not to have more glimmers than anyone else.
The goal is not to force positivity.
The goal is not to convince yourself that everything is okay.
The goal is awareness.
Triggers and glimmers are both valuable clues.
Triggers tell us what our nervous system experiences as challenging, stressful, overwhelming, or threatening.
Glimmers tell us what our nervous system experiences as supportive, connecting, nourishing, or safe enough.
Both help us understand the language of our nervous system.
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Why Glimmers Can Be Difficult to Notice
If you’ve experienced chronic stress, anxiety, burnout, trauma, grief, or long periods of uncertainty, glimmers may not be obvious at first.
This does not mean you’re doing the practice wrong.
A nervous system that has spent a long time focused on protection naturally becomes very skilled at scanning potential problems and threats.
That is what it has been designed to do.
In many ways, this is evidence of how hard your system has been working to take care of you.
As we become more aware, we often discover that glimmers were present all along. Our nervous system simply had less capacity to notice them.
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This Is Not About Positive Thinking
Glimmer practice is not about ignoring pain.
It is not about pretending everything is fine.
It is not about looking on the bright side.
The difficult things in your life are real.
The challenges are real.
The stress is real.
And there may also be moments of comfort, support, connection, beauty, or pleasure present at the same time.
Both can be true.
The practice is simply helping the nervous system recognize the wider picture.
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Becoming a Nervous System Detective
Over the coming week, see what happens if you approach your experience with curiosity.
Ask yourself:
What tightened me today?
• What happened?
• What did I notice in my body?
• Did I feel more tense, rushed, irritated, anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected?
And then ask:
What softened me today?
• What happened?
• What did I notice in my body?
• Did I feel even slightly more settled, connected, supported, present, or at ease?
The answers don’t need to be profound.
A trigger might be a difficult conversation.
A glimmer might be the first sip of coffee in the morning.
A trigger might be feeling behind.
A glimmer might be hearing someone laugh.
A trigger might be uncertainty.
A glimmer might be feeling the breeze on your skin during a short walk.
We’re not looking for dramatic moments.
We’re simply gathering clues.
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The Real Purpose of This Practice
The purpose of this practice is not to eliminate triggers.
The purpose of this practice is not to chase glimmers.
The purpose of this practice is to build awareness.
The more we understand what activates our nervous system and what supports it, the more choice we have in how we respond.
Over time, we begin to recognize something important:
The difficult things are not the only things there.
Alongside the stress, there may also be moments of connection.
Alongside the overwhelm, there may also be moments of support.
Alongside the challenge, there may also be moments of ease.
And sometimes those small moments are exactly what a nervous system needs to remember that life contains more than threat alone.
✨ This week, don’t try to change your experience. Simply become a detective. Notice what tightens. Notice what softens. Gather the clues and let curiosity lead the way.
By Deborah Chelette-Wilson 9/11/2026