Using Imagery for Stress Relief

Imagine that you are holding a halved lemon in your hand. Feel the rind on your fingers. Look at the bright yellow color. Bring it to your nose and inhale deeply. Now, imagine that you are biting into that lemon. Odds are, you salivated as you imagined yourself biting into the lemon. Your body reacted to the image of a lemon

Your imagination is a powerful tool. The way that the mind can influence the body is quite remarkable. Research has shown that identical parts of the brain are activated whether people imagine a scenario or experience it. The brain cannot distinguish between what is real and what is imagined. Most of the images that find their way into our minds are more harmful than healing. The most common type of imagery is worry. We imagine worst case scenarios and those images materialize as stress.

Guided imagery is a popular and effective way to ease stress and tension. You don’t have to spend money on a guided imagery CD. Guided imagery is something that you can become successful at on your own. I have hosted guided imagery sessions for individuals with various disorders ranging from leukodystrophy to generalized anxiety. The following script is very effective for stress relief.

Find an area where you will be free from distraction. Sit or lay in a comfortable position.

Close your eyes and inhale deeply– in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to get a steady breath.

Imagine a bright ball of light above your head.

The light lowers and you can feel it’s warmth.

As the light hits each part of your body, it pushes out the stress and tension.

Relax your forehead and jaw. Relax your neck and shoulders. Relax your back and your thighs. Relax all the way down to your toes. The light fills you.

Concentrate on your breathing– in and out. Exhale any remaining tension out of your body.

Now imagine yourself on the top of a staircase. With each exhale you descend a stair. 10… 9… 8…

You walk slowly and steadily down each stair 7…6…5…

By the time you reach one you are at the bottom of the stairs.

At the bottom of the staircase you see a beach in front of you.

(We will use a beach here because this is what I usually visualize, but any relaxing setting will work: a cabin with a fireplace, a meadow of flowers, a stream in the woods. Just visualize the scene and all of the appropriate smells, sounds, feelings, and sights.)

Listen to the sound of the waves.

Smell the salt air.

Feel the sand between your toes and the sun above you.

You are warm and relaxed.

Continue to breathe deeply and imagine the scene for as long as you like.

When you are fully relaxed, walk back to the stairs and begin ascending. Count your breath as you climb. 1… 2… 3

When you reach 10 you are at the top of the staircase.

You can now open your eyes and enjoy the rest of your day with less stress and tension.

(This is a fairly short script. You may choose to memorize it or record yourself reading it.)