Tag: mind

Visualisation!

Now, I know I’ve added this blog post to the category of ‘Mindfulness Techniques’ but this isn’t actually mindfulness, in fact it is, kind-of, the complete opposite, but I wanted to include it as a post, as I use both mindfulness and visualisation in the same way.

Basically, mindfulness is all about focusing and staying in the present moment, whereas visualisation is about taking your mind somewhere else.

Visualisation involves, firstly, thinking of a place where you feel most relaxed, and at peace. It could be a sandy beach, in a forest surrounded by trees, sitting on your favourite bench in the park, anywhere that is special and calming to you.

It’s best to do this initially when you are feeling relaxed, so you can fully picture yourself there in your mind, without distraction.

It’s important to also add to the mental picture, how you’re feeling in that situation, anything you are physically feeling or touching, if there’s a particular smell belonging to that image, and anything you can hear.

Spend a few moments focusing on it, and thinking about how relaxing and calming it is.
The exercise of visualisation is to keep this image locked away in your mind, ready to come back to whenever and wherever you need it, it does take some practice, but it gets easier over time.

You can use the visualisation technique when you’re in a place or situation which may make you anxious, e.g. standing in a queue or sitting in the doctors waiting room.