Visual Relaxation

1. Double-panned window technique

You’ve had a long day at work and all you want to do is hit the hay and drift off to sleep. But as soon as you close your eyes, the anxious thoughts begin. Whether you’re overloaded at work or worried about the future, sometimes when your head hits the pillow, those unwanted thoughts just won’t quit.

Step 1: Picture a bunch of people chatting loudly outside your open window – but don’t shout at them.

Step 2: You have a double paned window, so just calmly close it.

Step 3: The annoying chatting is silenced, and you are free to sleep.

2. Serene beach scene technique

You’re strapped in, the doors are closed and there’s no getting off the plane now. Does your mind immediately start going through everything that can possibly go wrong? This visualization should help calm you down and get you primed for your vacation.

Step 1: Visualize yourself lying on a white sandy beach, complete with clear blue skies and gently lapping waves.

Step 2: Imagine your body sinking into the chair and feel the warmth of the sand on your feet.

Step 3: Let go of any tension, soften your eyes and continue to breathe in time with the rolling waves of the water.

3. Stop sign technique

It happens to us all: something doesn’t go quite right, and you immediately go to the worst case scenario or starting beating yourself up. Intrusive thoughts can disrupt your life and become a major source of anxiety, but this simple visualization helps stop those unwanted thoughts in their tracks.

Step 1: Visualize a big red stop sign on an empty street with a clear blue sky overhead.

Step 2: Focus on the stop sign and repeat the word “stop.”

Step 3: No more unwanted thoughts will be able to enter your consciousness, your anxiety will fade and you can go about your day.

4. Blender technique

Do you often sit at your workstation feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to get through? It’s a common problem. Sometimes it feels like you don’t even know where to start. This visualization can help calm you down and give you the clear head you need to tackle that inbox or big project.

Ste 1: Visualize a blender being switched on. It’s full of food and starts to grind and chop loudly.

Step 2: Mentally shut the blender (and it’s noise) off, and you will feel an instant sense of calm.

5. Ball of yarn technique

If you find it difficult to unwind after a long, stressful day, it can be challenging to make the most of your evenings and recharge for tomorrow. This visualization can help.

Step 1: Picture a small ball of yarn holding all of that residual tension from the day.

Step 2: Find the tip of the yarn and imagine it slowly unrolling. The strand gets longer and longer, and you can actually feel your tension unwinding.

Step 3: The yarn is now completely loose and you are relaxed and able to enjoy the night.

6. Blue light technique

Whether you’re about to tackle it or are trying to decompress after you’ve completed it, an important and difficult task can cause anxiety. Light visualizations are a popular technique for relaxation, so why not give this one a try?

Step 1: Visualize yourself surrounded by a glowing orb of blue light.

Step 2: Breathe in the light and allow it to fill your whole head.

Step 3: Visualize those tensions leaving your body as black smoke. They dissolve completely in the light around you.

Step 4: With each breath, allow your body to gradually fill with the healing blue light until your entire being is clear, like a blue crystal.

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