The Visualization of Shut the Box

Shut the Box is a simple and powerful visualization exercise that promotes calm, relaxation, and reduces anxiety and worry.

Visualization can be a great tool to use to calm our worries and motivate our choices. To visualize is to imagine and our imaginations can create a lot of possibilities within and around us.

First, invite your group to find a comfortable spot. When you’re ready, start reading the script calmly and improvise as needed.

Shut the Box

• Once you are seated comfortably, take these next few seconds to relax.
• Take a moment to notice your environment.
• If you prefer, you may close your eyes and imagine a safe space. Imagine somewhere that you feel at peace and happy. This may be a vacation spot or your favourite room in your house.
• Now, in this space, let us visualise a box. Visualise the box with as many details as you can, from the colour to the material. This box will be a safe space for all of our worries.
• Imagine each of our thoughts and worries floating around us. They usually follow us wherever we go, and they are always visible to us.
• However, we do not need to carry these burdens with us all the time. We are here, in this present moment. Let us enjoy it.
• Allow yourself to put each individual worry into this box.
• When you are ready, close this box and know that your thoughts are in a safe place. You can open this box and explore your thoughts whenever you are ready, but they don’t need to control you.
• Once you have safely put your box away, come back to this present moment. Feel your body, notice each inhale and exhale.
• When you are ready, you may open your eyes.

Moment of Reflection

• How did you feel when we started the activity? How do you feel now that we have finished?
• What did you like about this activity? Was it helpful?
• Do you see yourself implementing this meditation into your daily life?
• Was there any part of this activity that you found challenging?
• Did your mind wander during the activity? Were you able to bring it back?

The topics of this publication: health, relaxation, wellbeing, self, reduce anxiety, mindfulness