Let Glitter Settle, and Your Mind Will Follow
Emotional Balance
About This Practice
When emotions feel intense, they often act like glitter in a shaken jar—scattered, fast-moving, and hard to contain. This metaphor captures how overwhelming emotions—like frustration, fear, or sadness—can feel. Neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor emphasizes that the chemical life of an emotion is typically 90 seconds, unless we prolong it with ongoing thoughts or mental stories. Letting the glitter settle represents letting that emotional surge pass without adding fuel to the fire.
Key Insight: A mindful pause can help you witness the emotion without reacting. When you allow your emotion to run its course without rumination, it naturally loses its grip.
How to Use the Focus Frame
Shake the Frame
Mimic the intensity of your emotions with a strong shake.
Watch the Glitter Settle
Focus on the falling glitter as a symbol of your emotions slowly calming.
Breathe Deeply
Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Let your body begin to relax.
Gently Refocus When Distracted
If your mind wanders into stories or worries, bring it back to your breath and the glitter.
The Science Behind It
Emotions Are Temporary: Taylor (2009) notes the average emotional response lasts about 90 seconds unless extended by rumination.
Amygdala Regulation: Studies show that mindfulness and affect labeling calm amygdala activity—the brain’s emotional alarm system (Lieberman et al., 2007).
Autonomic Balance: Deep breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing heart rate and promoting calm (Jerath et al., 2015).
Extended Practice
Breathe with the Glitter: Inhale with the swirling glitter, exhale as it slows down.
Label Your Emotion: Silently name what you're feeling: “That’s anger,” “That’s worry.”
Reassure Yourself: Remind yourself the emotion will settle, just like the glitter.
Notice the Shift: After the glitter settles, ask: Has the emotional charge changed?
Everyday Applications
After an Argument: Step away and use the frame before responding.
Before Public Speaking: Use it to calm nerves and ground yourself.
End-of-Day Reset: Let the glitter settle to clear emotional residue before sleep.
Common Challenges
"It’s Not Working Fast Enough": The emotional wave might last longer due to continued thinking. Try redirecting to your breath again.
"I Don’t Have the Frame With Me": Imagine the glitter in your mind or do the breathing and labeling without the visual.
"I Get Pulled into My Thoughts": That’s okay. Each time you return to the frame or breath, you’re strengthening emotional regulation.
Reflection Prompts
What emotion did I feel most strongly today?
Did I give it time to settle, or did I keep it alive by replaying thoughts?
What changed after watching the glitter and breathing?
How can I build this practice into my emotional routines?
Resources
Books:
My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Apps:
Articles & Research:
Lieberman, M. D., et al. (2007). Putting Feelings Into Words: Affect Labeling Disrupts Amygdala Activity. Psychological Science, 18(5).
Jerath, R., et al. (2015). Physiology of Long Pranayamic Breathing: Neural Respiratory Elements May Provide a Mechanism that Explains How Slow Deep Breathing Shifts the Autonomic Nervous System. Medical Hypotheses, 85(5).
Taylor, J. B. (2009). My Stroke of Insight. Viking Adult.
Gross, J. J. (2015). Emotion Regulation: Current Status and Future Prospects. Psychological Inquiry, 26(1).
Pal, G. K., et al. (2014). Slow Yogic Breathing Reduces Resting Heart Rate and Improves Autonomic Coordination. Advances in Preventive Medicine.
Final Takeaway
Emotions, like glitter, will settle if you don’t keep shaking them up with thoughts. The Focus Frame gives you something visual to focus on as you breathe and give your feelings space. Practicing this brief pause helps you calm down and reconnect to the present with greater clarity and control.