Whether you’re going to a fancy party, which you’re slightly nervous about, or you have to give a speech soon and you are more nervous than usual, visualization is an effective tool to use. What it entails is imagining yourself succeeding at something and feeling the enjoyment or other positive emotions that come with doing well. Let’s explore how.
Mind wander
Feeling especially fearful? It’s time for a trip to feel someplace safe. For some, this might be the beach. Or perhaps you’d feel more at home by a mountain lake or city café sipping coffee. Wherever you feel the safest and most at home, you want to go there now in your mind.
Start by sitting back and making yourself comfortable. Close your eyes and picture yourself in your favourite place. Add in every detail you can to make this experience as real as possible. Include all your senses in the background. Breathe deeply, holding yourself in this place until you feel calm and somewhat refreshed. This Guided Meditation works really to help tame the chaotic mind.
Unstring it
Feeling all tense and coiled up inside? This usually comes when you’re holding back too many emotions. Picture yourself carrying around all these knotted emotions tangled up with words you’ve wanted to say all day but couldn’t. Make all these feelings into an imaginary ball of yarn. Now sit back and take several calming breaths as you withdraw this ball of yarn and hold it in your hand.
Do you feel the weight? Good. Now drop it on the floor, holding onto the end of the string so that the ball rolls away from you, unravelling as it goes. Watch all the strands of yarn unwind, disappearing as they do. Stay in the vision until the entire ball is unwound and gone, and you’re feeling lighter and more relaxed.
Tune it out
Our thoughts can be noisy things. We hear so many voices in our heads, reminding of us deadlines, things to do, and people to see. Add to this the negative self-talk which creeps in occasionally and the half-heard phrases we’ve carried with us, which sound suspiciously like our parents, and you’ve got a lot of chatter and no peace.
For this kind of problem, visualize yourself in a room with a big open window. Set all these voices outside the window. Now, take a deep breath and shut the window firmly. This is a nice thick double-paned glass. You can no longer hear the voices when the window is closed.
Over to you
The techniques listed above aren’t the only ways to calm the chaotic mind, of course. Life experience has a way of doing that for us, in time. As we mature and start to know ourselves better and internalize our emotions, we develop a steadier understanding of how to deal with natural stresses on our being. If you’re in need of some grounding techniques but don’t know where to start I encourage you to download this self-esteem booster: “16 Powerful Messages You Must Listen To Each Day”.
About the author
Christine Cheung, the founder of YourLifeCoach.CA, is known to inspire and empower people in developing a positive outlook on their future and reach self-actualization, through the building of their Self-esteem, Self-confidence, and Self-worth.
Looking for a deeper conversation? Email her at christine.cheung@outlook.com or book a FREE coffee chat with her.
If you like this article, share it!
To make 2023 the BEST YEAR of your life, you may want to download “The Ultimate 12-Month Self-care Routine” E-book. This E-book will show you how to build new self-care habits, one month at a time so you are not overwhelmed (because I know you are).
My Blog. Your Inspiration! 