Hello..
A post inspired by an image I saw today from The ND OT on Facebook! Go follow them for more inspiration!
In my online programme this week, I shared my sensory delight at fiddling with conkers in my fingers as I walked. It delights me, calms me, steadies me!
It’s a small thing that contributes in a big way to my wellbeing and for years I lost touch with these things and how good they are for me! I was rushing past and I probably thought they were unnecessary, silly, childish – I couldn’t have been more wrong!
I look forward to the conkers again every year now 🍂 and when the leaves of the Horse Chestnut tree start to turn brown, I know it’s not long to wait! 😍 I collect one or two each time I walk past the Horse Chestnut tree near the school, in the village where I live. I’m in love with the look and feel of them. They are magical to me! I never tire of looking at them or feeling them or turning them over in the hand or in my pocket! 🎉🤩✨
What are some of your sensory glimmers?
(Don’t worry if you’ve no idea! You can find them)
In words from The ND OT, ‘a glimmer is a satisfying sensory delight that fills someone with fervent ecstasy. It is the opposite of a trigger (a stimulus perceived as threatening and unsafe).’
What glimmers for every person is different!
This image shares a collection of ‘satisfying sensory delights’ collected from a sample of autistic people. In Loving Difference, we recognise the significance for EVERYONE, whatever their neuro-identity, of discovering their glimmers – sensory ones, social ones, emotional ones – anything that delights us, that moves us towards a vibe or experience we love, e.g. joy, excited, calm, wonder, giggles, fizzy, comfort, grounded, happy, joy, oooh, ahhh, mmmm.
Which of these are glimmers for you? Remember this is not a neuro-identity specific question, it’s a YOU specific question. What else would you add to this image?
If you’ve no idea what glimmers for you, and I remember what that feels like as I didn’t either when I started this journey, a great place to start is the 21 Day Quest to Sensory Harmony where there are handouts and day-by-day support to collect the clues to your unique-to-you glimmers, as well as the turn-offs too! To find out more join Loving Difference!
“In less than 21 days, I feel more myself! It’s been a big shift in such a short span of time!” – Sensory Harmony Member
How is This Relevant to My Neurodiverse Relationship?
Glimmers are one of the antidotes to triggers – the actions, words, situations or environments that are, or we perceive to be, upsetting, unacceptable, threatening or unsafe! In the Loving Difference programme we work a lot on triggers – knowing them and navigating them differently. Combined with lots of other things, glimmers are one of the ways that support this work – creating capacity, supporting nervous system regulation, helping us to be more present and less reactive – so discovering your glimmers is one of the ways you can accelerate the sustainable changes to your experience that you’re wanting in your neurodiverse relationship.
To share your glimmers and anything that’s new for you in this post, comment on this post in Loving Difference – click to sign up for free! ✨
For support with any of this, book a call!
With love and glimmers!
Photo credit: Michael Hauer via Pexels
