In this guided visualisation you will be invited on a journey of discovery from a place that is familiar to a place that is brand new. You can follow the script in italics below, or you can listen to the recording, pausing it whenever you need to.
This can be a powerful activity, so remember to monitor your emotions and stop the exercise if you feel too uncomfortable at any point.
To get started, focus on a change that you are facing at the moment in relation to your work.
Keep this change in mind as you begin this writing activity. We will take you through the visualisation slowly, leaving you time to write between a series of prompts. Allow yourself to be playful and try to write intuitively, letting the words flow without too much thought. Be as descriptive as you can.
> To get the most from this activity, remember these guidelines
Pause, take a few deep breaths, and let’s begin:
Imagine yourself sitting in an armchair in a room. The room has a familiar, comfortable feel about it. What is it like? Spend 2 or 3 minutes describing the room: what you can see around you… what you can hear… what smells you notice… the temperature… where the light is coming from. And whereabouts in the room are you?
As you look around you, you see many familiar objects. Your eyes settle on one which is particularly significant for you. What is it? You pick it up and hold it for a few moments. What does that feel like? Now you put the object down again.
Although you know this room well, you suddenly notice a door in the far corner which you hadn’t seen before. The door is closed. Describe the door. Now imagine what might be on the other side of the door and write about that.
You get up from your chair and walk slowly towards the door, stopping as you reach it. How do you feel as you look at it close up? You put your ear to the door and listen quietly for a minute. What, if anything, can you hear?
Now you open the door – just a crack at first. As you peer through the crack into the room beyond, you see some indistinct shapes in the half light. You look carefully to try and work out what they are. After a few moments you recognise one of these shapes. What is it?
Then you open the door fully and walk right into the room, switching on the light as you go. You look around and then return to the first room to collect the significant object you were holding earlier on. You bring the object with you as you reenter the second room, this time closing the door behind you. How does that feel?
There is an armchair in this second room and you settle yourself into it, still holding the object. Next to the armchair is a small table. The table is empty except for a piece of white paper with a message written on it. You put your object down on the table and pick up the paper to read the message. What does it say? You pause after reading it and then write something on the paper. What do you write? Now sit back into the armchair and rest for a while. What do you do next?
We have reached the end of the guided visualisation. Now spend a few moments reading back through what you have written. Circle any words or phrases which seem interesting, significant or surprising. Reflect on how these might impact the way you think and feel about the change you are facing.
Once you have allowed yourself some time to reflect, put your pen and paper away. Take a few deep breaths and stretch your body.
You might like to do this quick grounding activity to bring yourself back to the present moment.