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Four-Laws of Behavior Change Resource Packet 

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Four-Laws of Behavior Change Resource Packet 

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4-Laws of Behavior Change Resource Packet

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James Clear on building identity-based habits

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James Clear on building identity-based habits

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James Clear on building identity-based habits

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Personal and Professional Habit Shaping Template

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Personal and Professional Habit Shaping Template

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This website contains information and resources for Atomic Habits.

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Hi, I'm James Clear

I'm the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. My work has been featured in places like Time magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and on CBS This Morning. Click here to learn more about me and my work.

In addition to writing, I am a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies. Previous clients include Capital One, Cisco, General Electric, Honda, Intel, LinkedIn, Lululemon, McKinsey & Company, Merrill Lynch and many more. Click here to learn more and submit a speaking request.

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James Clear is a writer and speaker. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits and the popular 3-2-1 newsletter.

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Habit shaping, habit stacking, ice cube visual, creating systems

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TED TALK

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TEDxToronto -  Drew Dudley "Leading with Lollipops"

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Quality First Academy respectfully acknowledges that our work and learning are accomplished on the land and territories of Indigenous people and that our present was built through the struggle, sacrifice, and resilience of those who came before us.

Please take a moment to discover whose homeland you are standing on.

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Mapping

We strive to map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages across the world in a way that goes beyond colonial ways of thinking in order to better represent how Indigenous people want to see themselves.

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Native Land is a resource to learn more about Indigenous territories, languages, lands, and ways of life. We welcome you to our site.

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Technical Assistant Professional Meeting Guidance 

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Technical Assistant Professional Meeting Guidance 

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Experience-Based Discussion (EBD) Resource Packet 

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Experience-Based Discussion (EBD) Resource Packet 

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READ-What to Know About Invisible Disabilities 

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READ-What to Know About Invisible Disabilities 

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Learn how to support students and educators with disabilities that aren't apparent.

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What to Know About Invisible Disabilities | NEA

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Learn how to support students and educators with disabilities that aren't apparent.

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Three Important Moments of a Child's Day

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Three Important Moments of a Child's Day

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Three Important Moments of a Child's Day

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Stages of Teacher Development Sectioned Article

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Stages of Teacher Development Full Article 

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Stages of Teacher Development Full Article 

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Stages of Teacher Development Full Article

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Understanding Trauma: Learning Brain vs Survival Brain

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Who is this Teacher-Q3 Trauma Informed Care

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Resistance Masks Strong Emotions Infographic

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Resistance Masks Strong Emotions Infographic

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Leading Consciously: Staying Relational with Presence and Attunement

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Leading Consciously: Staying Relational with Presence and Attunement

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How to Start New Habits that Actually Stick

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How to Start New Habits that Actually Stick

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How To Start New Habits That Actually Stick

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Visual Supports for Routines, Schedules, and Transitions

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Visual Supports for Routines, Schedules, and Transitions

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How a Glimmer Triggers Feelings of Joy and Safety

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How a Glimmer Triggers Feelings of Joy and Safety

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A glimmer is the exact opposite of a trigger-it is some kind of cue, either internal or external that brings one back to a sense of joy or safety. This can be anything from catching a view of the skyline of your favorite city to seeing a picture of your pet.

In our overstimulated worlds, glimmers can be the answer to regulating our overwhelmed nervous systems.

The concept of glimmers is part of Polyvagal theory. Coined by behavioral neuroscientist Stephen Porges and introduced in 1995, the theory describes how our autonomic nervous system (which controls involuntary actions like breathing) is searching for and reading cues to determine if they are dangerous.

This process is called neuroception, and the vagus nerve, which regulates organ functions, is responsible for it.

The term glimmer, however, was introduced in 2018 in the book The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation by licensed clinical social worker Deb Dana. It was popularized by a viral TikTok video in February 2022 by psychologist Dr. Justine Grosso, in a video that has nearly 100,000 likes.

Some Common Glimmers

If you're still having trouble identifying what your own glimmers are, here are some common ones:

Feeling the warmth of the sun

Sensing the cool, salty ocean air

The smell of cut grass

Seeing a rainbow

Sunlight sparkling on water

Smelling lavender or some other relaxing scent

Petting a dog or cat

Being in nature

A stranger smiling at you in public

The perfect cup of coffee

Understanding Triggers and Glimmers

Let's take a look at what causes a trigger and what leads to a glimmmer.

When You're Triggered

When the brain is triggered, it associates past traumatic events as if they're happening right now, leading to the brain and body being on high alert. Symptoms like rapid heartbeat might occur within the body as the flight-or-fight response occurs.

This response helps the body prepare for physical danger-helpful when you're being chased by a tiger, less helpful when you're being chased by your own memories.

When you're in that state, your sympathetic nervous system, which regulates the body's response to a stressful situation, is activated, increasing the heart rate, and blood pressure, and pumping extra adrenaline to you to prepare you for danger. If this system is activated too often, or for too long, it can lead to health problems like chronic high blood pressure and insomnia.

When You Feel a Glimmer

The goal is to get to the "top" of the ladder-the ventral vagal state, which is connected with social engagement and safety. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system (also known as rest-and-digest) and puts the body in homeostasis. More time in the parasympathetic nervous system-activated state reduces your risk of disease.

How Glimmers Work

The term "glimmer" was popularized by Deb Dana, LCSW. Triggers are cues-accurate or not-that move the body into those fight-or-flight or freeze states. Glimmers are also cues-but they are cues that move the body into that feeling of safety and connection and into the ventral vagal state.

While much of the activity on the Polyvagal ladder is involuntary, it is possible to regulate your place on the ladder.

For example, something like breathing deeply can move you from fight or flight into the ventral vagal state and begin to down-regulate you. However, if you are in the dorsal (frozen) state, you need to first be moved into fight-or-flight before moving into the ventral vagal state.

How to Find More Glimmers

You can probably identify triggers in your life relatively quickly, but glimmers might be harder for you to access. It can be helpful to practice mindfulness or some kind of grounding activity before you attempt to discover your glimmers.

Discovering Your Glimmers

Just as triggers can be both internal and external-from a thought of a traumatic situation that spontaneously comes up to a song that triggers intense feelings associated with a situation-so can glimmers. In fact, one person's trigger might be another person's glimmer.

How to Identify Your Glimmers

It can be helpful to keep track of your glimmers, just as you might keep track of triggers or other negative thoughts. You can do this in a journal or in a notes app on your phone. If you need help beginning to identify them, try these exercises below:

1. Close your eyes and picture a moment of peace. This can be anything from a place you've been to, to somewhere you've only seen pictures of, to a place you've only seen in your imagination. You might want to go spend time there, have a picture of it readily available or create a picture of it yourself.

2. Think of what made you feel safe and cared for as a child. If there is a way you can access that as an adult. If you didn't feel safe and cared for as a child, think of what you can do that you wish you had then. Is there someone who can give you a hug or can you give yourself that hugging sensation by hugging yourself or snuggling under a weighted blanket?

3. Think of a loved one. Picture someone you can just fully relax and be yourself around. If not, picture what having someone in your life like that might feel like. If it's someone you know, spend time with them if you can or give them a call. If it's not someone you know, watch a movie or listen to a song that reminds you of someone with these characteristics.

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How a Glimmer Triggers Feelings of Joy and Safety

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A glimmer is the exact opposite of a trigger-it is some kind of cue, either internal or external that brings one back to a sense of joy or safety.

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James Clear and The 4 Laws of Behavior Change Video 

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James Clear and The 4 Laws of Behavior Change Video 