Why You Should Know About Glimmers When It Comes To Mental Health

You’ve heard of the term “glimmer of hope”, right? That’s probably the only time you’ve heard of the word “glimmer.” But did you know that glimmers are something that can actually help you with your mental health? Let’s discuss!

Glimmers are essentially the opposite of triggers. While triggers are associated with negative situations and experiences (domestic violence, abuse, bullying, etc.), glimmers provide warm and fuzzy feelings. You feel joyful, safe, and happy - the opposite of when you are triggered. Some of the most common glimmers are:

• Smelling relaxing scents. They may not always be the typical aromatherapy scents; sometimes they can be a scent associated with a person that you care about

• The feeling of salty air from the beach

• The warmth of the sun on your skin

• A person’s smile

• Petting an animal

A glimmer brings comforting and happy memories to the forefront, while triggers prepare you for potential danger due to past experiences. But can you become in control of when a glimmer or trigger happens?

For triggers, that’s something where a therapist should enter the picture. Triggers are usually (but not always) developed through trauma, so seeing a therapist and letting out your feelings to them can be beneficial. A therapist can provide techniques on how to handle triggers when they happen as well so that you can live an easier life.

As for glimmers, you probably have a couple in the back of your mind already. Like triggers, glimmers can be identified pretty easily. But how do you discover more glimmers so that you can seem more prepared when it comes to a poor mental health day?

One way is to practice mindfulness, which is a technique of being in the moment and becoming aware of your thoughts and feelings without judgment. You can practice meditation or write down in a journal about places you feel most at peace, whether you’ve actually been there or not. You can also think of loved ones or carefree childhood memories. Any of these techniques can help you discover glimmers that you never actually realized were glimmers!

Was this helpful? I hope so; the spring season is finally upon us, and that makes people very excited for longer, brighter days and seeing nature bloom around us. Maybe during this season you will discover additional glimmers - who knows? Let’s embrace what life has to offer to us this spring!

For more support in mindset and mental health, come join me and fellow entrepreneurs this summer at the Healing While Building Summit: www.healingwhilebuildingsummit.com

About LaShana West

LaShana West is a Business Therapist and Mindset Coach who helps CEOs, entrepreneurs, and creatives crush the mindset blocks that are holding them back from their full potential. She started off in corporate, serving an array of capacities from direct youth care work to overseeing staff and programs to helping with corporate wide initiatives. She spent 20 years working directly with individuals with developmental disabilities; this is where she learned the importance of having true compassion and engaging in servant leadership. She then went on to gain a wealth of experience with program restructuring, training, developing professionals, ensuring quality management processes, and mastering an evidence-based behavior modification teaching model for children and families. All of these learning opportunities have positioned her to serve and step into a new direction by helping others in the creative and entrepreneurial field. With the mental health background coupled with the business acumen, LaShana is able to help the "whole person.”

She started Accountability on Demand in 2018, becoming a full-time entrepreneur two years later. LaShana’s influence has since spread throughout the entrepreneurial field, as she has collaborated with many coaches and business owners through livestreams, podcasts, and events. Some of these life changing events have been Elevate Her Social Summit, Boss Talk Expo, Womanifest, and Spa Boss Expo. With her words, LaShana inspires and empowers women from all over to face their fears and take the leap into maximizing their potential and increasing their impact and income!?

LaShana currently lives in Atlanta, GA with her daughter, Jazmyne.