What is Zoochosis and how does it relate to psychology?
Zoochosis is a term used in animal psychology. It refers to the repetitive, often distressing behaviors animals display when they are confined in captivity, which looks like: pacing, swaying, self-harm (for animals this could look like overgrooming), or withdrawing. These behaviors are not random. They are adaptations to an environment that restricts natural movement, autonomy, and stimulation.
And if we are honest, something about this concept feels… a little uncomfortably familiar as we observe human behavior.
While humans are not in zoo enclosures or cages in the literal sense, many of us live in systems and routines that can function in strikingly similar ways. We wake up, move through highly structured days, sit for long periods, engage in constant productivity, and collapse at night. Only to then repeat the cycle again.
At some point, we feel less like living and more like we are moving through life on autopilot. Over time, this feeling of being trapped and overmanaged can place our nervous systems in a chronic state of dysregulation, often resembling a low-grade fight-or-flight response.
From a polyvagal perspective, this matters deeply.
What is Polyvagal Theory?
Polyvagal theory explains how our nervous systems unconsciously evaluate our surroundings for threats or for safety, and activate us to act accordingly.
Our nervous system is not designed for constant activation. It is designed for rhythm, which accounts for movement between states of activation and restoration, connection and rest. When that rhythm is disrupted, we begin to see the psychological equivalents of “pacing in the enclosure”: irritability, emotional numbing, anxiety, burnout, and a sense of disconnection from self and others.
Nothing is wrong with you. Instead, it is that your system is trying to adapt to something that is not very human-friendly.
In Polyvagal Theory, the concept of “glimmers” can help us manage the dysregulation caused by our environments.
What are Glimmers in Polyvagal Theory?
Coined within polyvagal-informed frameworks, glimmers are small moments that cue safety and connection in the nervous system. They are the opposite of triggers. A warm cup of coffee in the morning. The sound of laughter. Sunlight through a window. A quiet walk. These moments might seem small, even cliché, but they are neurologically significant. They signal to the body: you are safe enough to soften. And often, we are already experiencing them, but we do not always have the space to notice them.
In many ways, consciously reclaiming our appreciation of these moments is an act of stepping out of the “cage.”
How to Create Glimmers in Every Day Life?
The most powerful glimmers are often found in what some affectionately call “grandma hobbies.” Baking bread. Knitting. Gardening. Sitting on a porch. Calling a friend just to talk. These are not just quaint or nostalgic activities. They are regulating experiences. They slow us down, reconnect us to sensory experience, and restore a sense of agency and presence that modern routines often strip away. Doing things that do not require us to perform or produce, just to be present, is extremely grounding.
How Does Noticing Glimmers Help Regulate Your Nervous System?
A quiet but profound shift happens when we begin to orient toward these experiences. We move from survival mode into something more sustainable. That does not mean you will be in a constant state of calm, but you will begin to notice a more flexible, resilient nervous system that can move between states without getting stuck. It is less about doing more and more about doing differently.
Noticing glimmers does not mean you will have to abandon responsibility or reject modern life. Becoming more present is about remembering that we were not designed for relentless output without restoration. We were not meant to live entirely in productivity-driven cycles that disconnect us from our bodies, our relationships, and the natural world. We need spaces in our lives that feel like exhale, not just inhale.
We are meant to move. To connect. To create. To rest.
And perhaps most importantly, we are meant to experience moments of aliveness that remind us we are not just enduring life, we are actually living it.
How can Therapy Regulate the Nervous System?
Therapy can be one of the places where that shift towards a more calm state of being begins. Therapy offers space to slow things down, to get curious about what your nervous system is responding to, and to begin noticing where those small moments of ease and connection already exist.
With the help of a therapist, you can gently step outside of these patterns and begin noticing where moments of ease, connection, and rest already exist in your life, even if they feel small or fleeting. Together, we can identify your own “glimmers” and find ways to gently and realistically weave them into your daily life. There is something really meaningful about not having to figure that out alone. If this is something you are longing for, I would truly be honored to walk alongside you in that process.
Schedule a free consultation call with our client care coordinator if you’d like to work with me on healing your nervous system with polyvagal therapy.
Edward Jenny & Associates has a team of psychologists who are ready to help you with trauma, anxiety, depression, symptoms of ADHD, autism and more, through virtual and in person sessions in West Chester and across Pennsylvania
Meet The Author
Dr. Cassandra Parrish specializes in relationship patterns, interpersonal difficulties, attachment, life transitions, and the lasting impact of trauma through a relational, neuroscience-informed approach to therapy. She helps clients understand how their relationships and nervous systems shape the way they experience the world. Her work focuses on helping individuals move beyond survival mode toward greater connection, self-understanding, and lasting emotional well-being. Dr. Parrish is passionate about translating psychological science into practical, accessible insights that empower people to better understand themselves and cultivate lives rooted in meaning, regulation, and authentic connection.
