Visualization, the quiet power of imagination. What is visualization & how could we practice it?
Visualization is the formation of mental images. When we visualize, we use our imagination to focus on a goal or a certain scenario. We form images, ideas & concepts, add details & elements to recreate non-existent or future settings in our heads.
Generally, our brains are designed for survival. Our brains would do its absolute best to help us survive, but not thrive. When we go beyond what our brains consider as safe, it activates our fear so it can keep us within our comfort zone.
With the quiet power of visualization, we can stretch our own comfort zones & gradually grow & thrive. Since we’re only comfortable with things we know, visualization helps us by familiarizing ourselves with future scenarios thru imagination. When we visualize, we help our brains get comfortable with a new experience or challenge.
Wasn’t performing on stage easier after practicing? Did you not feel more comfortable with your costume after your dress rehearsal? You even get to correct anything wrong with blocking & outfit choices afterwards. This is why Sigrit from the film Eurovision Song Contest had major trouble on their live performance. It’s because they didn’t get to finish their dress rehearsal. So, no one knew that her scarf was too long & would be a source of catastrophe.
We’re talking about rehearsals because that is actually the quiet power of visualization. Visualization is a mental preparation or a mental rehearsal. Mentally rehearsing before any routine such as driving, walking, working out, swimming, or working can even help get us in the zone. If we want to do something we never achieved before, we have to use the power of imagination & put ourselves in that situation – even if it’s just in our heads, for now. It also helps if you practice believing in yourself while you visualize.
About 9 years ago, I enrolled myself in a driving course & started driving. Back then, our car was manual. But, it was too exhausting to drive when I had on location shoots around town. So, I stopped driving for years. About 3 years ago, I started trying to go back behind the wheels. Unfortunately, despite the car being automatic, I had a tough time returning to practice.
So, I regularly visualized myself driving a car. For a few weeks, that’s what I did. I simply visualized myself getting in the driver’s seat, happily driving through a long stretch, and stopping the engine feeling fulfilled. After a while, I started moving the car from our garage. Then, I started practicing around the subdivision. When we sold the old car & got a brand new one, I visualized even more. I also watched pov videos of driving coaches as they narrate their thought process when driving. Then, I revisited my favourite thing which was parking.
After gaining confidence, I started dropping off & picking up our laundry weekly. Then, I’d buy eggs from the market. After a while, I drove out for weekly grocery shopping. I also started visiting my parents & my husband’s family. Then I drove out to swim or visit coffeeshops. Then, I tested driving on more unknown roads & expressways. The next time we passed an expressway, I drove for much longer & practiced adding more speed & overtaking. Then, I happily drove through long, steep rough roads in the province & mountains, visited friends, etc. One of the most enjoyable for me is when I drive to unknown places. As I kept stretching my comfort zone, my driving visualizations became my reality. It felt like extending my map when I played Little Kitty Big City. The map is blurry at first but soon you’ll have the capability to unlock it.
Visualization helps calm our survival instinct – our fight or flight response. It’s because our brains cannot distinguish between what’s real & what’s imaginary. So, visualization helps us imagine ourselves in an unknown experience, making it familiar. Once it becomes familiar, our brain translates this as something that has already happened in the past, hence, not something to be afraid of. So, if you keep visualizing it & putting small actions that will compound in the future – it’s highly likely that your imagination will soon become your reality.
Coffee soon,
Anne