Prompts for cultivating creativity and resilience. For therapists (and other humans).
Use the Listening Inward Prompts to take some time for yourself, make space to breath, connect with yourself, and nurture your creativity and resilience.
If you’re already familiar with the Listening Inward Prompts, scroll down to get started!
About Listening Inward Prompts.
These prompts are designed with therapists in mind, but they can be used by anyone who finds them helpful. Therapists may choose to offer them to clients if they feel useful in clinical work.
You might bring one or two of these prompts into your morning practice, an evening wind-down, or play with them during your day between sessions. See if you can let them be an easy resource to support you.
You can use these prompts in any way that you like. They are for you!
If a journaling prompt encourages movement, go for it. If a movement prompt inspires you break out the art supplies, that’s terrific. If you’d rather write than make art, follow your own wisdom. And if you want to simply sit with any of the prompts and be curious, that’s a lovely way to explore and reflect.
No writing, movement or art experience needed. For art/creative expression prompts you can use materials as simple as pen and paper or as fancy special paints or other materials. A few markers, your kids’ crayons – all good.
Savoring Glimmers
Glimmers are small moments in our lives that give us a sense of safety, joy, connection, and help regulate our nervous system. Glimmers are the opposite of triggers. They can add to our resilience and positive experiences. The concept of glimmers is from Deb Dana, who applies polyvagal theory to therapy practice.
The simple practice of paying attention glimmers and savoring them is like stringing beads together. Bit by bit by bit we expand our orientation to joy, pleasure, calm, energy, and pleasure.
For more on glimmers, have a look at the video and then explore the prompts below that catch your interest.
Prompts
For all prompts, first identify a glimmer.
Think about a about a recent time when you experienced a moment of joy, delight, warm, connection, beauty, or feeling safe. It can be a very simple experience, such as enjoying the sounds of birds, the first sip of coffee in the morning, the sun peeking out from a cloud, laughing at a joke, even a silly animal video.
Journal Prompt:
- Write about this moment, using the present tense, as though you are in that moment.
- Focus on what you felt like using the five senses. What did you see? Hear? Feel/touch? Smell? Taste?
- Let yourself add as much detail as you can.
Movement Prompt:
- Find a comfortable position (sitting, standing or lying down).
- As you remember this moment, notice what sensations you feel. Where do you feel those sensations? For example, perhaps you feel your shoulders relax, or a sense of calm stillness in your chest, or energy in your face or arms.
- Do you notice any impulse or desire to move? If so, let yourself try it out. Smile. Make gentle circles with your fingers, spread your arms out wide. Anything goes.
Art/Creative Expression Prompt:
- As you remember this moment, create an image that captures the feeling of the glimmer.
- Follow your instincts. You can start by choosing a color or a shape and see what happens from there.
- If you’ve done the writing or the movement prompt, you can draw from your experience of those activities as well. Play with color, texture, shape. Notice your experience as you create.
Bonus (for therapists):
- Take some additional time to explore the ways that savoring glimmers might impact you as a therapist. How can this practice help you increase your own resilience? How might it support you in being present, curious, or patient with your clients? Can you imagine the possibility of it re-orienting you when you are struggling, uncertain, or frustrated? What else comes to mind?
- You could journal about this, move while you consider these questions or create images that resonate with the ways you feel as a therapist when you are more connected to glimmers.
I’d love for you to comment or join in the chat. Feel free to share your own responses, reflections or art. I’d love to hear what resonates.