An imagination task to gain respite from the Xmas frenzy
An imagination tip to survive and thrive despite the ‘traditional’ pre-Christmas frenzy.
If you’re like me, you still have a ton of things to complete before Christmas. The to-do list is almost as long as Santa’s gift giving list, often without those elf helpers to lend a hand when it seems Christmas might be ruined; the turkey not yet ready, the line at the fish market a traffic jam and the presents not wrapped, another email to send, a full stop to make on a work project due before the holidays begin.
Does that sound familiar, stressful? The stuff of sweaty palms and quickened heartbeats.
What if you tried something different this year, pulled out that skill we each possess, our imaginations, to help manage stress as the yuletide beckons.
Why not give yourself a break amidst the frenzy, respite from ‘real’ life and that endless to-do list just briefly, a minute or two, maybe three, or more, to recover and to reclaim your energy before inevitably, attending to everything because, yes, in most cases, it really all needs to be done before the stroke of midnight on Christmas eve.
Here’s an imagination task for a brief respite before the big day: this exercise only works if you’re fully committed. Don’t just read about it; do it. If you need to close your eyes to concentrate, that’s a good idea. Otherwise, make sure you are only thinking about this task, fully focused, ‘all in’ to invite your imagination to do its work and briefly, lead you elsewhere to a time for dreams.
First, imagine your to-do list written on a giant chalk board. As you complete each task, in your imagination, scrawl a giant tick next to it on the list. And notice that finally, every task is complete. All done. Every item ticked, all finished. To imagine how that might feel, dig deep into memory to Christmases past, to that moment when the gifts are finally opened, the feast eaten, all the guests content and asleep, a light snore from somewhere, a good ending to a fine day. And now, a well-earned rest, a book to read, a beach to visit, a friend to see.
Have you noticed that somehow, despite all the flurry, it always (or almost always) works out.
This year, rather than focusing only on getting everything done, how about taking time to breathe, to imagine what it feels like when all the tasks are complete, and the day, at last, enjoyed. Give yourself moments for respite as you recall Chrissy usually works out pretty well even if the dog ate Nan’s gift and the turkey was slightly burnt and the fish market ran out of prawns (does that ever happen?)
Imagining a good ending can lighten our load along the journey and add energy to our steps.. And lead us, seemingly faster, to the post-Christmas relax of dreams and imaginings.
No pressure (because it’s Christmas) but if you’d like to share how this imagination exercise worked for you, please do.
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Dawn is an imagination coach keen to share the wellbeing benefits of imagination and more. A Griffith University industry fellow, each Imagination Session® she runs invites us to explore our imaginations for a ton of good reasons. DM or email dawn@imaginationsession.com to discover more.
