We’ve all heard of psychological triggers — those moments, words, or experiences that spark a stress response or negative emotion. They can be as small as a tone of voice in a meeting or as big as a major conflict at work. Triggers send our nervous system into survival mode: fight, flight, or freeze. But what if, instead of focusing on what sets us off, we learned to notice what lifts us up?

Introducing “Glimmers”

Coined by therapist Deb Dana, a glimmer is the opposite of a trigger — it’s a small moment that helps our nervous system feel safe, calm, and connected. A smile from a colleague, sunlight through the window, a genuine “thank you,” or a team sharing a laugh — these micro-moments cue the body toward balance and trust. Over time, glimmers build resilience, emotional regulation, and wellbeing.

Why Turning Triggers into Glimmers Matters

In workplaces under pressure, people often live in a state of low-level threat — deadlines, unclear communication, or constant change can keep the nervous system on alert. This costs more than morale. Chronic stress erodes creativity, empathy, and decision-making, and contributes to burnout and absenteeism.

Glimmers, by contrast, activate the parasympathetic nervous system — the body’s “rest and digest” mode. They help people feel grounded, valued, and psychologically safe. A glimmer-rich culture fosters trust, collaboration, and authentic engagement. People perform better not because they have to, but because they want to.

When organisations intentionally create the conditions for glimmers, they shift from a deficit focus — managing what’s wrong — to a strengths-based approach — amplifying what’s right. This is not fluffy positivity; it’s applied neuroscience.

Five Ways to Introduce Glimmers at Work

1. Start Meetings with Connection Moments
   Begin every meeting with a brief check-in, gratitude round, or something positive from the week. It signals psychological safety and tunes everyone’s nervous systems toward openness rather than defence.
2. Design Spaces that Feel Good
   Light, plants, artwork, and comfortable breakout areas aren’t luxuries — they’re glimmer generators. A small shift in environment can profoundly affect mood and energy.
3. Encourage Appreciation and Recognition
   Build a habit of noticing what’s working. Peer-to-peer recognition and genuine “thank yous” create daily micro-glimmers that strengthen team cohesion.
4. Model Calm Leadership
   Leaders set the emotional tone. When they respond rather than react, pause before decisions, or acknowledge difficulty with empathy, they create emotional safety for others to do the same.
5. Build in Micro-Restorative Moments
   Encourage breaks, breathing space, or brief walks between meetings. When people regulate their nervous systems throughout the day, the whole organisation benefits from calmer, more creative energy.

The Takeaway

Every workplace has triggers — but every workplace can also have glimmers. By shifting focus from reactivity to restoration, from threat to trust, from deficit thinking to strengths practice, from compliance language to positive dialogue, we not only protect wellbeing but also unlock the human potential that drives thriving organisations.

Start small. Notice a glimmer. Name it. Share it.

Because when people feel safe and seen, they shine — and so does the workplace.

That[‘s why our byline act PosWork is “Making BETTER Workplaces where PEOPLE and BUSINESS flourish together”. 

Note: we don’t have a problem with using AI to fast track tasks and make better use of our time but we also believe we need to verify what it says. We also believe  that we should acknowledge that use of AI and not claim creative credit when we do use AI. We used Chat GPT to help in the creation of this post and for the image but a human imagined it, directed the creation and edited it.