Restoration Kit

This guided audio exercise is designed to help you create a plan for a "future you" based on how you actively choose to spend your time. The narrator guides you through a reflection process by splitting a piece of paper into four core life categories: creative, entertainment/social, self-care, and learning/growth. For each section, you are prompted to note down things you already do alongside things on a future wish list. The session wraps up by inviting you to select one actionable item from each category's wish list to visualize, feel, and commit to starting today.

Transcript

This is the restoration kit practice. So for this, You need a pen and a paper. And you need a shape that you can split into four sections or you can use four different pages. You can look at this as creating a future you. It's all about how you spend your time. As we know that what we do with our time has a significant impact on how we feel. So it really shapes the content of our thoughts and our body state. So rather than mindlessly whittling away our time. I'm getting drawn in by things that are not very helpful. How else can you use this time? Things that really nurture us and soothe us. Give us a sense of purpose as well. So we're going to label the four sections The first is creative. The second is entertainment, Fun, And social. The third is self-care. And the last one is learning and growth. So we're just going to go through those now. And we're going to split them into things that you already do and things that are on a wish list. And it could be things that you did in your past that you really enjoyed. Or it could be something that you've always wanted to do. This is really just to get down any ideas. So, Starting with the creative. Just get writing. Perhaps you play a musical instrument. Or have always wanted to. Or you do a hobby. Perhaps you like painting or it's always something that you wanted to try. Some other ideas could be cooking and baking. Perhaps photography. Or exploring with clay. Perhaps you've always wanted to have a go at making some homemade gifts. Or maybe you'd like to try your hand at poetry. So just take as long as you need now to complete that list of creative. You can stop the recording. I'm going to continue with entertainment, Fun and social. So again, Just splitting your list into things you already do. And those on a wish list. So perhaps you really like TV and movies. Maybe you'd like on your wishlist to go to the cinema. Maybe you'd like to bring in some board games into your family life or with your friends. Maybe it's something you could do down the pub. Maybe you've always wanted to try that. Well, Maybe it's something more fun like. . . Flying a kite, Something that you think that is associated with children. So we can always have fun and play, Even as adults. Maybe you'd like to have a party just for the sake of it. Or go and see somebody in concert. OK, Stopping the recording now, If you want to continue writing that list. And I'm going to move on to self-care. So splitting your list into already and wishlist. What things do you engage in that are part of your self-care in your daily life? Perhaps you go for walks. Or maybe doing mindfulness practices. Maybe you do some exercise that you feel. Keeps you calm but also healthy. So what things would you like to add to your wishlist? Maybe you'd like to give yourself more early nights. Maybe you could combine them with a sleep story. Plenty of those online. Or sleep meditations. Maybe you'd like to reduce the amount of time you work on screens. Perhaps you'd like to go and have a massage. Just write down all those things you already do. And your wishlist. And stop the recording now if you want to continue. And now moving on to learning and growth. Again, All ready and a wish list. What are you currently doing? What would you like to add to a restoration kit? Maybe you've got lots of books that you really want to read that are just piling up. So maybe making a plan. Which one are you going to read first? Maybe there's a course you've always wanted to do. Maybe you really like animals and you want to go to a kitten cafe or something like that, An animal sanctuary. Or maybe there's an exhibition you want to see. Lots of these things can actually be in all four of the sections, So don't worry if there's crossover. OK, If you want to continue. Writing that and then stop the recording now. And just to sum up. Again, This is to really help us realise that the way we spend our time has that impact on how we feel. And it's dose dependent, Which means the more you do, The better you feel. So if you've had that thing in your head where You think in the future, I'm going to do X, Y, Z. And now's the time. So just looking at your list. So you should have four wish lists now. What I want you to do is look through those lists. And circle. One of those items in each of the four lists in your wishlist that you're going to do. And see if you can just spend a few moments in each list with that one thing that you're going to do and just feeling how you would feel if you engage in that. Can you picture yourself doing it? Can you notice how it would make you feel? So, Just spending a few moments at the end of this practice to work out how you're going to do those, What action you can take today that will move you forward with each of those. You're creating the new future you.