Guided Imagery

Mental Stress Management

Imagine a relaxing scene to calm your mind and body in times of stress.

Imagine that you are soon going to give a presentation to your organization's
executive team, and you just can't seem to focus.

You're nervous and stressed, and when you try to rehearse your opening
lines, your mind goes completely blank. The more you try to practice your
material, the more stressed you feel!

So, you take a break, you close your eyes, and you remember the last
vacation that you took in the mountains. You think of the gentle stream
where you stopped to rest. You can hear the birdsong, smell the clean air, and
feel the sun's warmth on your skin. You slowly begin to relax as you imagine
this peaceful scene, and your heart rate and breathing slow down. When you
open your eyes a few minutes later, you feel relaxed and in control, and you
have no trouble remembering your opening lines.
Have you ever used your imagination to escape, or cope with a stressful
situation? If so, you were using "guided imagery" to relax. In this article,
we'll look at how to use imagery to manage stress, and we'll discuss how you
can use this technique to cope with difficult situations.

What Is Guided Imagery?

Guided imagery is a stress management technique, where you use your
imagination to picture a person, place, or time that makes you feel relaxed,
peaceful and happy. Imagery is slightly different from other stress
management techniques; in that it relies on the use of all of your senses.
For instance, in your imagination you hear the sound of birds chirping, you
see the drops of dew on the grass, you feel the breeze on your skin, you smell
the wildflowers, and you taste the cold drink. In imagery, using all of your
senses is what creates such a powerfully relaxing experience, and this is why
it's so useful in managing stress and coping with difficult situations.

There are several other ways that you can use imagery to help you relax. For
example, you could create mental pictures of stress flowing out of your body,
or of your problems, your distractions, and your everyday concerns being
folded away and stashed in a padlocked chest.

Some people are skeptical about the effectiveness of using imagery.

However, research suggests that it can be incredibly effective in lowering
your stress levels.

For instance, one study found that using stress management techniques

alongside relaxation imagery, and even just using imagery alone,
significantly reduced participants' blood pressure. Another study, which
researched the effectiveness of imagery on breast cancer patients, found
similar benefits: patients who used imagery to cope with their disease
experienced less stress, more vigor, and a higher quality of life than those
who didn't use the technique.
As well as these examples, many other studies have successfully used
imagery to lower stress in patients suffering from post-traumatic stress
syndrome, abuse, depression, and other conditions, including occupational
stress.

Note:
Imagery is similar to Visualization   , in that you're using your imagination
for a specific purpose, however, visualization is more focused on a definite
outcome. People use visualization techniques to imagine completing goals or
working through a situation with an exact outcome in mind. Both are useful,
but guided imagery is more relevant for managing stress.

How to Use Guided Imagery

Step 1: Find a Quiet Place

If possible, find a quiet place to sit down. This could be a park bench, an
empty room, or even your office. Close your eyes, and breathe slowly and
deeply to calm down.

Step 2: Choose Your Setting

Once you feel relaxed, picture yourself in the most peaceful environment that
you can imagine. This can be an imaginary place, or a memory of a place or
time that has a special meaning to you.

The scene that you imagine is highly personal and should ideally be one that
you feel emotionally drawn to. However, if you're having trouble thinking of
an image, consider using the following:

 Relaxing on a sunny tropical beach, listening to the waves, and

digging your toes into the sand.
 Curling up in an armchair in a remote cabin, surrounded by
mountains and snow, and relaxing in front of a fire with a cup of hot
cocoa.
 Going on a picnic with your family in your favorite secret spot.
  Sitting by a waterfall deep in the forest, feeling the gentle moisture
against your face, and listening to the birds.
It's important to remember that imagery's effectiveness relies on using all
your senses.

For instance, don't just imagine yourself in the remote mountain cabin. In
your imagination, look around you. Pay attention to the rustic feel of the
room. Feel the fire's warmth against your skin, and inhale the musky, earthy
scent of the wood's smoke. Touch the cozy blanket, taste the sweet hot
chocolate, and look out of the window at the deer finding food in the snow
outside. Experience the feeling of having nothing else to do but eat, read, and
go snowshoeing.

Your goal is to immerse yourself fully in the scene: this includes what you
can see, taste, touch, and smell, as well as how you feel. The more details that
you can include in your imagery, the more effective this technique will be.

Tip:
Keep in mind that when you first begin to use imagery, it might feel strange,
and you may have difficulty immersing yourself fully in your imagined
scene. With practice, this will get easier; your imagination will get stronger,
and you'll be able to enter a relaxed state more quickly.

Step 3: Relax
Stay in your relaxed scene for as long as you feel comfortable, or as long as
your schedule allows. Continue breathing deeply, and try not to let any
outside thoughts intrude.

When you're ready to leave, sit quietly, and let your mind turn back to the
situation at hand. You'll now feel much more relaxed, in control, and ready to
tackle your challenges.

Key Points
Guided imagery is a useful technique for managing stress and coping with
difficult situations. In this technique, you imagine a scene, time, or place that
is peaceful and that has an emotional connection with you.
Step 1: Find a quiet place.
Step 2: Choose your setting. Imagine yourself there, use all of your senses to
immerse yourself in the experience, and include as many details as possible.
Step 3: Relax, for as long as your schedule allows you to.
Keep in mind that imagery is most effective when you use all your senses.
The more details that you can include in your imagined scene, the easier it
will be to relax.

Warning:
Stress can cause severe health problems and, in extreme cases, death. While
these stress management techniques have been shown to have a positive
effect on reducing stress, they are for guidance only, and readers should take
the advice of suitably qualified health professionals if they have any concerns
over stress-related illnesses or if stress is causing significant or persistent
unhappiness. Health professionals should also be consulted before any major
change in diet or levels of exercise