Visualization Exercises During Quarantine

Quarantined

Most of the world is quarantined inside their homes to take precautions against the spread of the Coronavirus. Some businesses and schools have closed down. Curfews have been placed, leaving major cities looking like ghost towns. People in Italy have gone to their balconies to sing and play music to cheer each other up. Not everyone is rejoicing in the same way to cope.

There is a shortage of toilet paper from panic shopping. People are off from work, parents are home with kids and it’s becoming a little stressful for some. Our children are watching our reactions to how we are handling things. Anxiety is high for many. We need to make them feel safe and that everything will go back to normal soon.

Or prepare them for this as being the “new normal”.  Turning on the TV or logging onto our social media accounts are not making things any better. We see the negative news, we see the panic and we forget we can tune out for just a little to clear our minds.

I found myself looking at the news all day then falling asleep with images of worry, panic, and the politics of all that was going on. After one bad dream. I said, “things are not going to be like this every night.” I logged on to YouTube, placed my headphones on, and listened to some relaxing sleep music.

The next morning I woke up feeling refreshed. The following visualizations are good for adults and children. We need to take this time to limit our time on the computer and get back to things we love. Time to read some books, pick up some new hobbies, and most important of all SPEND TIME with FAMILY. 

Visualization or Guided Imagery

• Go to a room where you will not be interrupted for 20 minutes.
• If you choose to visualize on your own, think of a restful place you have enjoyed or would like to visit. Picture it in your mind. Imagine how you would experience it through each of your senses. Hold that visualization for several minutes.
• Take a few slow and deep breaths to center your attention and calm yourself.
• Close your eyes.
• Imagine yourself in a beautiful location, where everything is as you would ideally have it. Some people visualize a beach, a mountain, a forest, or a being in a favorite room sitting on a favorite chair.
• Imagine yourself becoming calm and relaxed. Alternatively, imagine yourself smiling, feeling happy, and having a good time.
• Focus on the different sensory attributes present in your scene so as to make it more vivid in your mind. For instance, if you are imagining the beach, spend some time vividly imagining the warmth of the sun on your skin, the smell of the ocean, seaweed, and salt spray, and the sound of the waves, wind, and seagulls. The more you can invoke your senses, the more vivid the entire image will become.
• Remain within your scene, touring its various sensory aspects for five to ten minutes or until you feel relaxed.
• While relaxed, assure yourself that you can return to this place whenever you want or need to relax.
• Open your eyes again and then rejoin your world