Pretending Practice

I saw a social media post that said, “to fall asleep faster, pretend you are asleep.” 

I kept scrolling, but later this concept was still on my mind.  

Why did this feel so mind-blowing? It is true, we pretend to be asleep before we fall asleep. We close our eyes, slow our breathing, and eventually we drift from pretending into actually sleeping. I’ve never thought of it as pretending to sleep in order to sleep. 

I shared this idea last week with a couple of clients who are starting new jobs and both expressed doubts about if they were qualified or ready for their new position. We explored the idea of pretending you walk into the office confidently while you are still at home. Pretend you are ready for the job. Pretend to be a person who feels qualified. 

When we were little kids, we didn’t hesitate to pretend to be firefighters, cops, moms, super heroes, animals, and athletes. When I was little, I would set up my stuffed animals into an imaginary classroom and pretend to be my favorite teacher.

What did you pretend to be?

Pause for a moment and just reflect on your memories of pretending. 

What if we engaged our imaginations again and used it to help us prepare for becoming what we wish we were? 

If you want to be peaceful, pretend you are walking around filled with peace. 

If you want to be confident, pretend you are entering a room with confidence. 

Let your body feel what it would be like if that were true. 

With our sleeping example, it is our body that takes the lead. We might decide we want to sleep with our minds, but our body gets into its comfortable position, our nervous system calms, and our eyes close. We embody sleep and then we are asleep. 

Try a pretending practice of your own today. 

What would you like to pretend to be? 

Even if just for a few seconds you introduce something new to your brain, you are more likely to get it. 

I’m off to pretend I’m a strong capable hiker on the Camino,