How to take the mind on short hops to calm and pleasant locations

‘Think of a happy place.’ You might have received this piece of advice when faced with an uncomfortable situation. Though a small and simple statement, transporting the mind to a calm and serene location is a powerful tool to have under your belt, especially if you’re somewhere you’d rather not be, such as the dentist’s chair, perhaps. It helps you endure difficult situations, discover where you feel your best and find a sense of optimism. But where do you go to in your mind for refuge? How do you find your personal happy place?

In her book, How to Find Your Happy Place, Alison Davies shares visualisation exercises and journal prompts to help you escape to yours. She believes that ‘being able to picture a place and go there in your mind is a gift. It’s a self-care trick that you can use anytime and anywhere.’ If you’re unsure of where to begin, there are three different kinds of happy places you might wish to explore: positive memories, imaginary places and future possibilities (see panels, right and overleaf). You might sometimes have been doing it without realising – for example, recalling a childhood home as you wander around a city, sitting in an office and daydreaming about a tropical beach, or picturing where you want to be in five years’ time. More than just passing locations in a wandering mind, these happy places bring benefits that make them worth a visit.