Why Should You Let Your Imagination Run Wild?

Imagining a better future- whether you want to enjoy your time or strengthen your relationships with your loved one- helps us cope with stressful times. Due to the difficult times that have afflicted us during the Corona pandemic (COVID-19), we are waiting impatiently for the pandemic to recede to do things we planned.

In this article, we will review the confessions of people who have suffered from the effects of the pandemic and the things they are eager to do after it has passed.

Twenty-eight-year-old Teddy Johnson, who lost his job, said: “I want to dress neatly and dance to a warm summer's night of quiet music. I can't wait to meet my friends and dance together. Indeed,  I will not forget my suffering during that period, but just thinking about this idea gives me happiness. Dancing, for me, is like air. Thinking of returning to the dance floor with the people I love gives me the strength to overcome these restrictions set by the COVID-19 pandemic and leave me confined to the house.”

Mr. Johnson's fancy may seem premature, for most of us will only rush into crowds and socialize if we long to do so. Still, experts claim that imagination, forward-thinking, and employing imagination are efficient tools for getting people through stressful times.

As winter draws to a close, coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and deaths continue to rise, and new, more contagious wave enters. As crises and disasters unfold, more people than ever need to look to the future, such as attending parties, hugging loved ones, talking to friends, and going on trips once the situation stabilizes.

Martin Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Positive Psychology Center, said: “Imagination is vital because of the optimism it gives us.”

Seligman devoted his work to researching what is good for humanity, which depends on efficacy, optimism, and imagination. When Dr. Seligman was president of the American Psychological Association in 1998, he called for a “shift in focus from the problem to the things that make life worth living.”

Dr. Seligman said the hours he spent imagining and daydreaming about future plans are precious because they allow people to change routines and promote hope and resilience. Imagination also helps people live a "good life," or PERMA, an acronym whose first letters are combined with the following English words:

• Positive
• Emotion.
• Relationships.
• Meaning.
• Accomplishments.

Dr. Seligman said: “Imagining the future - we call this process skill mining - helps to mine through a set of brain networks that compare time and space and make you imagine things happening beyond the present. The essence of future resilience is how skilled you are as a prospector. This is the condition, regardless of whether one's fantasies about the future are exaggerated, implausible, or ordinary.

Twenty-seven-year-old Gabriela Aguilar, who, in addition to being the mother of two, runs a home-made goods store, says the most she's looking forward to is taking her children to the playground near their home.

Ms. Aguilar's family moved from Houston to Austin in 2020, and her children have not been able to play with other children since they arrived. Ms. Aguilar said: “I get upset when we go for a walk and see other children. Children only want to play, have fun and live their childhood, but we keep our children apart. We prevent them from playing together, which is embarrassing.”

Dream, whether your dreams are big or small:

Rachel Syme, a writer specializing in fashion, style, and culture at The New Yorker, says she and her friend Avery Trufelman, who hosts The Cut, have planned a party as soon as things settle down and will call it The After Party.

In an email she sent in December, she said: "We can dress as much as we want. There are no dress codes, and you can wear a tuxedo, a dance dress or a party outfit, as it makes no difference."

Twenty-nine-year-old Imani Baucom, a teacher in Washington, D.C., envisions going on a journey to the Dominican Republic to meet her students she taught seven years ago - since they were in fifth grade - and attend their high school graduation party this year.

Jordan Firstman, a television writer, noticed a celebrity this year playing the characters on Instagram, where he imagines eating breakfast with twenty people in a restaurant, filming it in his home, followed by entertaining, eating dinner, watching a live play, then going to a party until six in the morning, and then imagining going to a movie at eight in the morning because he is not tired of attending performances yet.

Massive fantasies like this one are intrinsically similar to softer fiction like a date, a cocktail party, or getting close to others and listening to their conversation, as they are all expressions of a desperate human need to connect.

Deirdre Barrett, a psychologist and professor at Harvard Medical School, said: “Now They imagine what they've been deprived of, and daydreaming is a substitute, giving them some of the joy of a real experience.”

Hold on to hope:

Do not underestimate the power of imagining better times in these circumstances when many people have lost loved ones or are struggling to pay their bills, secure a living for their families, and keep their homes.

Peg O'Connor, a professor of ethics at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, said: “We forget that imagination is not just about positives; Always thinking of imagination as good is dangerous because many people are unable to imagine good, joyful and hopeful things because they can not, or because they've had so many difficulties in their lives that they feel like imagination is reckless.”

This was confirmed by psychiatrist April Toure, a specialist in dealing with children and adolescents at the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn.

Dr. Toure said: “It is true that hopelessness is not a primary symptom of depression, but it is a common symptom, so forward-thinking or imagination and the belief that the next one will be better are essential for getting through difficult periods.

Dr. O'Connor said, “Holding on to hope, even if it is about something simple and mundane, can make a big difference. I am not dreaming of going on long trips, but I only wish to hug my mother.”