Gathering in the ‘Glimmers’ to fuel our wellbeing through the Winter

I recently joined in a local Hedgerow foraging trip (I LOVE foraging) and, as it’s been harvest time too, it got me thinking about a different kind of hunting and gathering. It made me think about how important it is for our wellbeing to pay attention to glimmers, gratitude and glorious celebration of all the things, however small.

And so I want to invite you to do some gathering-in of a slightly different kind!

But first, let me talk about the foraging.

I LOVE foraging (I know, I mentioned that already!) 

I LOVE that I learn more each time I go, about the plants in my local area. 

It never fails to amaze me how many there are that we can use in our diet or to nourish us in some way shape or form. 

I LOVE spotting the pops of colour and the joy that I feel. It’s no accident that things that bring us joy tend to reflect signs of abundance in nature (round, colourful and sparkly things).

And I am not unique.

The act of foraging connects with a deep and reflexive human-desire to seek and to gather food and supplies, to sort, store and to nourish – our tummy, our heart and our soul.

We are primed to look for signs of abundance, because it makes us feel safe – in the knowledge that we have enough to eat for today, and for the harder days and weeks ahead when food sources become less available.

In the modern west, we have disconnected in our minds from this cycle of the seasons, because for most of us food is readily available all year round.  But our innate yearnings for signs of abundance, for gathering-in, for laying down stocks and supplies for the winter months, is deep seated in our psyche and our physiology.  Place yourself next to a Bramble Bush or a Hazel Tree, laden with juicy ripe blackberries, or luscious looking cob-nuts and I bet you can’t help but reach out to pick one and pop it in your mouth!

It feels so satisfying to bake a blackberry crumble that is filled with fruit that you have picked, washed and sifted through with your own fair hands (with the scratches to prove it!).

And it fills up our cup (as-well as out belly) because it taps into an ancient and innate part of us – our hunter-gather past, our mammalian instincts.

We are inextricably connected to the natural world whether we consciously think about it or not.

And of course, associated with all of this ‘abundance’ are the human traditions and rituals celebrating the ‘harvest’ - whether it’s traditional hunter-gatherers, the druids or modern day farmers – it’s acknowledgment of the ‘harvest’ season, the time of anticipated abundance, and a time of thanks to Mother Earth for providing for us for another year.

Foraging for the Feel Good Feelings!

These rituals of thanks and gratitude got me thinking about how this is also a great time of year to embark on our own foraging and harvesting mission – to gather in all the ‘glimmers’ from the year, and all the things that have made us feel good, that have lifted us up, that we want to celebrate, and that we feel grateful for (including our own awesome-ness (something that as women we thoroughly neglect most of the time!).

If you haven’t heard of glimmers, they are the small moments of joy we experience that leave is feeling calm, safe and connected. It includes things like:

• the smell of freshly cut grass

• the sight of a rainbow

• the smell of freshly baked bread

• the smile from your normally grumpy neighbour

• the feel of a snuggly blanket and a candle

• cuddling the cat

They are micro-moments, not the BIG stuff. And these micro-moments accumulate over time to help to deeply regulate our nervous system and our emotional sense of wellbeing.

Glimmers, Gratitide and Glorious Celebrations

Noticing the glimmers, actively celebrating our ‘successes’, however small, gathering in a harvest of our ‘fizzy, cosy, happy moments’ from the year, formally acknowledging and appreciating things in our lives that we are genuinely grateful for, and which nourish and replenish us, all help to boost our mood, elevate our positive mindset, and to help us to feel good about and in ourselves.

Gratitude, appreciation, celebrating the good things and intentionally making sure thing that light us up, make us laugh, nourish us, are incorporated into our days are all proven recipes for better well-being.  And what better time of year than Autumn to get intentional about pausing and reflecting on our year so far to give us a ‘lift’ before we head into Winter and a ‘store’ to draw on when things may feel gloomier and our energy levels may slump in the months to come.

As a psychologist I know that the things we focus on mentally and emotionally, are where we expend our energy so it makes sense to feed our mind some good stuff, especially as we naturally tend to veer towards spotlighting the negative (just a human thing!).

Your invitation to a new style of foraging

I invite you to Set some time aside and get intentional about seeking out and gathering in YOUR ‘feel good’ bounty.

Find a comfy spot, with a journal & a cuppa if you like, and reflect on the following:

• What has made me belly laugh this year?

• What memories and moments can I recall that made me simply smile?

• When have I felt truly ‘lit-up’?

• How can I bring more of these feelings into my life?

• What things can I celebrate this year?  And let’s get serious about this. Include everything and anything that feels like a ‘win’ - it’s SO important to celebrate the little things too, however small and insignificant something may seem.  They are all part of your story. (e.g. I got a million pounds of funding for a key project could be as important as I didn’t yell when my son left the car window open all night or I managed a whole week without eating chocolate!). It can help to think about these ‘as if’ you are a friend relating them back to you (believe me, it will feel a) easier to silence your inner-critic and b) you will be surprised at how many more things you can think of!) . Small or big, ANYTHING counts as long as it feel important and a ‘win’ to you ·      

• What am I truly grateful for so far this year?  This is not about what you SHOULD be grateful for, but what do you deeply feel appreciative of.  Again, it could be seemingly tiny things, like the best cup of tea you’ve ever had, or the cloud shaped rainbow, or simply being alive (a true privilege, not to be taken for granted).

• What are the ‘glimmers’ that have, perhaps unexpectedly, brightened up my day?

  All of these things are things that I feel we simply tend not to spend enough time wallowing in! And if you’re going to wallow, why not wallow in the glimmery, fizzy, cosy, warm and fuzzy stuff?

And maybe before you start, make a note of how you feel, and do the same when you’ve done. 

Did it shift your mood? Can you feel the fizzy hugs?

Do you agree that we would all benefit from devoting more regular time reflecting on these things?

If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy my regular musings and insights inspired by psychology, nature and being human in my weekly(ish) ‘Something for the Weekend’ newsletter…