I first became acquainted with visualisation after watching The Wolf of Wall Street. Bear with me.
The wonderfully wild movie is based on a real-life businessman called Jordan Belfort who, following his stint in jail for crimes in connection with stock-market manipulation, went on to become a pretty inspiring motivational speaker.
Drugs and strippers aside, Jordan attributes his success to visualisation - and regularly details how important it is to visualise a key victory from your career and use it as a vehicle to change your state of mind. Right before a sales call, he would visualise a time he'd been successful and replay it in his mind, conjuring up the glory he felt in that moment and what it would feel like to feel it again, in the hope that it would motivate him to secure the same success again. My brother and I have sworn by this method for years - and it honestly works.
Fast forward five years and everyone's at it - from Oprah Winfrey to our favourite Instagrammers like Roxie Nafousi, people are using the power of visualisation to achieve exactly what they want in life. So what exactly is visualisation and how can you do it yourself to reap the rewards?
What is visualisation?
"Visualisation is when you picture something in your head, it could be a scene such as a dream wedding, holiday, accomplishment or an object such as a car or new home. The best way to do it is to make the scene as alive as possible; seeing it as a movie is a great start," explains award-winning healer Antonia Harman the founder of divineempowerment.co.uk.
How can we visualise?
Antonia suggests picturing yourself walking into your dream home and feeling all the sensation you would - like excited, happy and joyful. "Make it visceral and engage all your senses," she suggests. "What does it smell like? Can you smell the ocean or freshly cut grass? Touch the door, the curtains, the walls, look around really paying attention to every detail. Is there any noise outside from kids, the ocean, animals or traffic? The taste one may be a little more tricky in this instance, but you get the idea. Make the movie as real as you can."
Put simply; visualisation is advanced daydreaming and you can do it by reminiscing about a future memory and thinking of it wistfully by engaging all your senses to make it as authentic as possible.
Antonia also says it's essential to visualise your dream in the 'now' present day, not in the future. "If you're thinking about it in the future, you are asking the universe to keep it in the future rather than inviting it to you now, think of it like a carrot on a stick, you want the carrot now."
Of course, good fortune isn't just going to appear on your plate; Antonia says you have to also take action to make it happen. "If it's your dream job, you may need to study for it. If it's your dream relationship, you may have to go out and meet people or sign up to some dating apps; unfortunately, Prince Charming is unlikely to knock on your door directly; you may need to leave the house to meet him."
Celebrity Hypnotherapist and Mindfulness expert Aaron Surtees believes there are simple visualisation exercises you can do every day.
"By practising mindfulness and visualisation techniques we can overcome a range of issues and feelings that might be holding us back. We can re-programme the subconscious mind to feel in control of our mind and body," he says.
According to Aaton, this can simply be practiced once a day when you wake up in the morning by breathing slowly, softly and meditating on the edge of your bed for a few minutes up to 20 minutes every day. "Make sure you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth and concentrate on this alone. Focus on being in the present," he suggests as you visualise your goals.
What are the benefits of visualisation?
"By re-writing negative thought loops and undoing self-defeating cycles, it allows us to restore calmness and remain relaxed in all situations," says Aaron. "You can expect to feel calm and confident in your new day-to-day reality by practicing daily. Your confidence will be boosted and you will have increased motivation in daily life."
We're sold.
This article was originally published on Glamour UK.
