Should you be a regular reader of The Simple Things you'll be well versed in the belief that small things make a big difference to how you feel. However, it's a belief that's actually backed by neuroscientists researching what's known as ‘glimmers’.
To understand glimmers, it helps to know a bit about the nervous system. You might have heard of the fight-or-flight stress response – the automatic survival responses triggered by the nervous system to prepare us for confrontation, escape or immobilisation when faced with perceived danger. In the 1990s, US psychologist Dr Stephen Porges developed polyvagal theory, which offered a more nuanced view of fight-or-flight. According to Dr Porges, while our nervous system can activate a stress response, it can also go the other way when we sense social…
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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 2025