How to Create a Safe Place in Your Mind
Brainstorm ideas., Think of a time when you felt safe or happy., Create different rooms., Fill it with your favorite people., Engage all of your senses., Write down every detail.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Brainstorm ideas.
The goal of a safe place is to feel safe, happy, calm, and secure.
To create your own mental safe place, you should try to come up with a place that makes you happy or secure.
Look through old photographs, books, magazines, and pieces of art.
Choose ones that give you positive emotions, and set these aside.
Do you feel more at peace in natural settings, such as the beach or in a garden, or do you feel more secure inside a building, such as a castle or a house? Are there any quotes, poems, or stories that make you feel at peace? Do you prefer energetic and populated places or tranquil and isolated places? -
Step 2: Think of a time when you felt safe or happy.
Your memories are one of the best places to find what makes you happy.
Try to think of times when you were calm, happy, or peaceful.
Pin down where these memories took place.
It could be your grandma’s kitchen, the place where you married your spouse, a playground, or a favorite park.Ask yourself:
Where did this take place? Who was with me? How old was I? Why does this make me happy? , Your safe place can have several different sections, rooms, or compartments to allow yourself various places to go.
These rooms can be organized by emotion, theme, or problem.
These will allow you space to move through your safe space, and it can help you compartmentalize and deal with individual problems.For example, you may want to have a garden where you go if you are stressed from work.
If you’re feeling nervous or anxious, you can travel from your garden into a tranquility room, where you can find peace.
This might be an uncluttered room in light colors, such as lavender or soft blue.
If your safe place is outside, you can still have different areas.
For example, if your safe place is in a jungle, you can have one area that is by a great river, another that is up high in a tree, and another that is in a patch of flowers. , While some people may prefer to have a quiet, isolated safe place, others might find it comforting to see friends and family members in their safe place.
Think about people who make you happy, and imagine them greeting you in your safe place.
If there are any deceased friends or family members who you would like to see again, you can imagine that they are in your safe place.
You can have conversations with them or ask them for advice. , Your safe place should not just be a scene that you see.
Use all of your senses to imagine this mental sanctuary.
Smell, sounds, touch, and taste can help you immerse yourself.What do you see? You might imagine trees, mountains, streams, or caves.
There might be a garden or a library.
If you have a favorite quote or mantra, you might imagine that it is posted to the wall of a room.
What does it smell like? If you think of the ocean, smell the salt air.
If you’re on a mountain, you might smell pine trees.
If you’re in an old childhood home, you might smell baked goods.
What does it sound like? You might hear the wind blowing through the trees or the gentle roar of the ocean.
There might be birds chirping or wind chimes jingling.
Imagine yourself touching your surroundings.
What do you feel? Is it smooth, rough, gritty, or polished? Is it hot or cold? Hard or soft? Can you taste anything? If you imagine yourself sitting in a Parisian cafe, you might taste the bread.
If you are on the ocean, you might taste the salty air. , Once you have created your safe place, write down every single detail that you can recall.
Describe it in great detail so that you can return to it easily whenever you need to go.
If you prefer, you can draw, paint, sculpt, or video tape your description.
What is the setting? What surrounds you? What colors do you see? How big or small is it? What sensations do you feel? Are there animals or other people there? -
Step 3: Create different rooms.
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Step 4: Fill it with your favorite people.
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Step 5: Engage all of your senses.
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Step 6: Write down every detail.
Detailed Guide
The goal of a safe place is to feel safe, happy, calm, and secure.
To create your own mental safe place, you should try to come up with a place that makes you happy or secure.
Look through old photographs, books, magazines, and pieces of art.
Choose ones that give you positive emotions, and set these aside.
Do you feel more at peace in natural settings, such as the beach or in a garden, or do you feel more secure inside a building, such as a castle or a house? Are there any quotes, poems, or stories that make you feel at peace? Do you prefer energetic and populated places or tranquil and isolated places?
Your memories are one of the best places to find what makes you happy.
Try to think of times when you were calm, happy, or peaceful.
Pin down where these memories took place.
It could be your grandma’s kitchen, the place where you married your spouse, a playground, or a favorite park.Ask yourself:
Where did this take place? Who was with me? How old was I? Why does this make me happy? , Your safe place can have several different sections, rooms, or compartments to allow yourself various places to go.
These rooms can be organized by emotion, theme, or problem.
These will allow you space to move through your safe space, and it can help you compartmentalize and deal with individual problems.For example, you may want to have a garden where you go if you are stressed from work.
If you’re feeling nervous or anxious, you can travel from your garden into a tranquility room, where you can find peace.
This might be an uncluttered room in light colors, such as lavender or soft blue.
If your safe place is outside, you can still have different areas.
For example, if your safe place is in a jungle, you can have one area that is by a great river, another that is up high in a tree, and another that is in a patch of flowers. , While some people may prefer to have a quiet, isolated safe place, others might find it comforting to see friends and family members in their safe place.
Think about people who make you happy, and imagine them greeting you in your safe place.
If there are any deceased friends or family members who you would like to see again, you can imagine that they are in your safe place.
You can have conversations with them or ask them for advice. , Your safe place should not just be a scene that you see.
Use all of your senses to imagine this mental sanctuary.
Smell, sounds, touch, and taste can help you immerse yourself.What do you see? You might imagine trees, mountains, streams, or caves.
There might be a garden or a library.
If you have a favorite quote or mantra, you might imagine that it is posted to the wall of a room.
What does it smell like? If you think of the ocean, smell the salt air.
If you’re on a mountain, you might smell pine trees.
If you’re in an old childhood home, you might smell baked goods.
What does it sound like? You might hear the wind blowing through the trees or the gentle roar of the ocean.
There might be birds chirping or wind chimes jingling.
Imagine yourself touching your surroundings.
What do you feel? Is it smooth, rough, gritty, or polished? Is it hot or cold? Hard or soft? Can you taste anything? If you imagine yourself sitting in a Parisian cafe, you might taste the bread.
If you are on the ocean, you might taste the salty air. , Once you have created your safe place, write down every single detail that you can recall.
Describe it in great detail so that you can return to it easily whenever you need to go.
If you prefer, you can draw, paint, sculpt, or video tape your description.
What is the setting? What surrounds you? What colors do you see? How big or small is it? What sensations do you feel? Are there animals or other people there?
About the Author
Richard Bishop
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow crafts tutorials.
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