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Negative Visualization

One of the key things noted about the happiest people is that they are grateful for their lives and the things in them. They are truly grateful for what they have been blessed with, whether it’s a good family, a warm home, adequate food, or good health. Many of us do, in fact, live lives that others would envy. Yet, there is an epidemic of feelings of unhappiness in our society. We’re told to be happy with our lives and be grateful, but that can be hard sometimes.

I can struggle with being grateful sometimes. For myself, I have attributed this to me being a natural pessimist. From glass-half-empty to “oh my gosh I am going to fail this course” after getting a 70 on an exam, I always think of the worst-case scenario. I’ve attributed this to a strategy that many refer to as “prepare for the worst, hope for the best.” Countless “what-if” questions have plagued me, and with the pandemic, that could have gotten worse. However, I tried a strategy that I think may work for some of the natural pessimists in the crowd.

This strategy is called “Negative Visualization.” You think about all the things in life you take for granted. Your family, friends, the internet, your pets, etc. Think about the food you eat. The warm bed you sleep in. Your good health. There is at least one thing that you can always point to that you are happy about. Now, imagine it taken away. This is a form of meditation where you ponder on this thought.

You’re not just torturing yourself for fun! There is some value in thinking of this since it can put your day-to-day struggles into perspective. It’s easy to think “in the grand scheme of things nothing matters” but that can lead to thoughts of “what matters at all?” At the end of the day, you matter! The things that you care about matter! Thinking of the important things in your life and gently imagining them taken away is often enough to clear your mind of the petty but anxiety-inducing thoughts you may have.

Thinking of the worst-case scenario all the time, in this case, became the tool I used to get through some of the harder days during quarantine. If I missed going to the gym, I could think about how I at least had the privilege of good health. This meant I could take advantage of that and go for a walk instead. As a side benefit, it can improve the empathy you feel for others and may invigorate you to help others who are going through a harder time than you.

Remember not to linger on the negative thoughts for too long. This can actually be counterproductive and can lead you to spiral on the issues for longer than you should. With that, I would like to end off with this quote: "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." - Marcus Aurelius

On behalf of the ENGWellness Team, thanks for checking out this post! Please connect with us if you have anything that you would like to see in the future: ENGWellness@uwaterloo.ca.