Visualization Techniques For Stress Management

Visualization techniques have been demonstrated to
improve physical and mental health, speed the healing
process, and effectively manage pain. They can also
help prevent illness, reduce stress, and increase an
individual’s overall health and well-being.

Different visualization techniques can be used in the
treatment of stress, and stress related illness. For
general Stress Management, begin by identifying where
in the body you feel the stress. Do you have muscle
tension in the back and neck? Is your stomach
"knotted"? Do you experience a dull or throbbing
headache? Different people experience stress in
different ways.

Once you have identified where in the body you
experience stress you can use visualization techniques
to reduce the stress, as well as the physical symptoms
and effects you experience while under stress.

One useful visualization technique involves placing
your hand over the affected area of your body. Breathe
deeply, with your eyes closed. Feel your heart rate
slow to a calm and steady pace.

Visualize the stress in your mind as an image, with
size shape and form. It may appear as a black ball
which is located in the area of your body that you
feel stress.

It may also appear in another form, such as a square,
circle, rectangle etc... As you concentrate on the image
of the stress (which may or may not be accompanied by
physical pain) visualize (or picture yourself) moving
the image.

It may not happen right away, but keep working at it,
until you can get the image to move. Even the smallest
movement is an accomplishment. As you begin to be able
to move the image, be aware that you have control of
it, and more importantly, know that IT does not have
control over you.

Visualize the image that symbolizes your stress moving
further and further away from its original location,
until eventually you are able to remove it completely
from your body.

Another technique along this same line is to visualize
the stress you are feeling, and imagine that it is
getting smaller, and smaller. Eventually the image
will shrink to a tiny spot, and then disappear all
together. This technique is very powerful in helping
to manage the physical symptoms that result from
stress.