Triggers And Glimmers

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

You've probably heard of triggers sometime. These are signals that make us feel anxious and even lead to a nervous breakdown. Triggers can be, for example, words, sounds or people. There are also opposite triggers, glimmers, which calm and restore a sense of security.

Triggers and glimmers - irritants and soothing

Sometimes we get nervous or upset about little things. It would seem like a carelessly thrown phrase, an insignificant gesture, a subtle smell - and we are suddenly covered with a wave of memories. A man who looks like a former man, a woman with a voice like that of a mischievous teacher, a bench on the boulevard where you waited in vain all evening, a Rachmaninov concert, to which you sob so sweetly - any detail is enough to piss you off, unsettle you, provoke reaction. At the same time, the long-drawn-out scars on the heart begin to ache with renewed vigor, as if there weren't all these past years. Sound familiar? This is how triggers appear - objects, people, places, smells, tastes, images and associated associations that bring old psychological trauma back to life.

A trigger (from the English "trigger") is an event that causes a person to suddenly re-experience psychological trauma and severe negative emotions.

We do not always catch where negative emotions are born. But their consequences are detrimental to our mood, performance and mental health. The trigger launches a series of associations leading to retraumatization - re-experiencing sensations or negative events left in the past.

But the good news is that the exact same mechanism exists for fond memories. The warm light of lanterns, which gives a feeling of serenity and safety, the lights of New Year's garlands, creating a festive mood, the smell of apple pie from childhood, the bridge over the river, where there was the first kiss in life - all this evokes painful memories and provides a resource to move on. …

In psychology, everything that causes positive associations is called glimmers (from the English "ray", "glimpse"). That is, glimmers are what helps to cope with negativity: to ground and feel safe when the heart is breaking out of the chest. Glimmers help to stop panic attacks, soothe tremors in the knees and replace stress with a feeling of comfort.

In Russian psychology, the concept of glimmers is not so widespread. We often use the term "anchor" that came from NLP, which can be used to denote both triggers and glimmers, and the theory of anchoring. In our case, the ability to catch on to a good memory, evoke positive feelings and prevent the current from taking us to the open sea.

How to find and use glimmers effectively

In order to ground yourself during times of panic and severe stress, it is enough to focus on your five senses:

1. Feeling

Try touching something cold or warm, rough or smooth, feel the contrast between the carpet pile and the plastic surface of the TV, or hug your beloved pet. Any touch returns us to the state of "here and now".

2. Vision

Find something green (blue, red) in the room by looking from object to object and noticing the color scheme. At the same time, you can decide that these curtains absolutely do not fit the bedspread, and change the wallpaper in the bedroom.

3. Hearing

Turn on the music - someone needs a soft meditative relaxation with the sound of the sea surf or the chirping of birds, while for someone the rumbling of heavy metal to its fullest is perfect. Sometimes it helps to shout properly - and there is nothing to worry about. If you can't afford to go out into the woods, try yelling into a jar or waving into a pillow. The main thing is sound and a burst of energy.

4. Taste

Drink water with lemon, take a crust of black bread or a clove of garlic in your mouth, feel salt or pepper on your tongue - do not eat, but just feel the difference in taste.

5. Smell

Light scented candles or rub a drop of your favorite perfume on your wrist. Toast the bread for a cozy smell, or open a window and let in the fresh, frosty air.

How else to help yourself to ground

Everyone has a whole arsenal of positive memories in their memory. Imagine the smile or voice of a loved one, the warmth of your hands, a funny situation, or a successful vacation. The better you know yourself, the more secret assistants you have who will come in handy in difficult times. You can make a real list or mental index and learn to evoke a particular memory with an effort of will.

Gadgets and global digitalization are designed to make our life better and easier, but sometimes shocking and fuss in social networks do a bad job. Try to put your phone aside more often, reply to messages as often as necessary, but do not rush to every incoming email day or night, try not to use gadgets before bed, and do not leave a blinking device on your pillow. Digital detox has never harmed anyone.

Select what you eat, who you talk to, and what you read. The abundance and easy accessibility of information does not guarantee its quality and usefulness. Learn to avoid toxic people, annoying texts, and hysterical bloggers.

Find a state in which you are comfortable and learn to mentally return to safety wherever you are. Yoga, meditation, mindfulness practices - all this will give you the necessary resource and a fulcrum.

If during times of stress you are alone and are in a place where none of the above practices are possible, just hug yourself tightly. Do not underestimate the power of warmth and human embrace, even if this emotional resource comes from you.