We live in immensely stressful times. Here in the United States, our government is now an authoritarian, fascist regime, and the cost of living in this country is increasingly unaffordable. As if things could not get any worse, our global climate is warming and becoming more volatile. (This is arguably the greatest existential crisis we all face.)
These thoughts weigh heavily on my mind every day, but I have been utilizing ways to reduce my stress. Journaling, creativity through art and music, and cuddling with my animals all help, but I have been employing a new tool lately—my imagination.
At least once a day, I sit quietly, take a few deep breaths, and start to visualize a place where my mind can go. In my case, I drift off to a house I have often dreamt of having.
Imagine, if you will, a house made of brick and stone high up on a ridge. It sits nestled among trees and overlooks an ocean. Nearby, there is a partially shaded Japanese-style garden and a tree with a swing dangling from a thick, sturdy branch. This house has lots of windows and a chimney that grows out of a stone fireplace. It warms the entire house. Each room has at least one wall with books shelved from floor to ceiling. From the back door, a path meanders, twists, and turns down to a sandy beach far below.
Of course, despite appearances, this is no ordinary house. What the outside world does not see is that it has an interior courtyard—a private garden, if you will, that lights up the house from the inside. Every room has glass doors and windows that open into this space. A petite Japanese maple tree grounds this hidden garden and is surrounded by valleys of moss and ferns. Comfy chairs flank a small stone pond in a corner where cats like to sip water and lounge about.
This house has a large kitchen where groups of people can make and share meals together, and my favorite room in the house has a piano by an enormous bay window. I play my music there while I stare out into the endless ocean blues and billowy clouds.
I have been visiting this place a lot lately. I wander through this house and fill it with all the things that give me joy—cats, books, sushi dinners, Filipino food, more cats. The best part about this place is that I can carry it with me everywhere. I go there while I am waiting in line somewhere, taking a shower, or sitting at my piano. I often escape to this place when the stress of the world starts to feel like too much.
Like everyone else, I have been gifted with a human brain that is capable of sophisticated and intricate thoughts, and this is a wonderful way to use it. While this activity might seem a bit silly, I have learned that I cannot always depend on someone else to give me comfort.
In these harrowing times, I might become destitute and alone somewhere, and as such, I will need to depend on myself. I will have this internal refuge when I close my eyes, along with a handful of sweet memories to smile upon.
I invite you to find a place in your imagination where you can find refuge. It could be anywhere and even stem from a beloved place that actually exists—a childhood playground, a cozy reading nook, a forest, or any place that gives you a sense of safety. Imagine physically moving through that space. Feel the comfort and joy that it gives you through its sights, smells, and sounds.
Go there as often as needed.
Let it heal you.
P.S. Because I am a certified dork, a few technical aspects about this house also make me happy. Read on to understand the depth of my geekery.
- The house sits high on a ridge top because I have an irrational fear of tsunamis that originates from one of two recurring nightmares I had as a child, even though that particular nightmare was the milder of the two. (I cannot talk about the other one.)
- The trees, particularly a few Blue Gum Eucalyptus specimens, block the wind coming off the ocean.
- The hidden, interior garden is capped by a thick, retractable glass roof that is reinforced with steel pillars and cables (because Mother Nature is a moody friend).
- Each room also has a small fridge stocked with sushi and Filipino food.
- There is an outdoor shower hidden among the trees.
- The land surrounding this house is a nature preserve where many animals roam free.
- There is an unreasonably long dining table outside the house and near the Japanese-style garden where I host bountiful, picturesque meals for friends and family.
- Just like my childhood home, the driveway up to the front of the house curves around a banyan tree.
