Can you really use your mind to think, predict and imagine your way to better health? Possibly! Using a technique called visualization can make a big impact on our ability to influence outcomes, namely our goals centered around physical and mental health.
What is visualization?
Visualization, also referred to as guided imagery, is a technique that involves using your imagination to manifest behaviors, goals, outcomes and events that you would like to occur. Using the practice of visualization for health is based on the concept of the mind-body connection, meaning that using the mind in this way can help change emotions, and in turn, physical health as well. More specifically, positive visualization involves focusing on and imagining beneficial outcomes of various scenarios, often overcoming obstacles to successfully achieve goals.
Health Benefits of Visualization
Research has shown that visualization can help increase neuroplasticity, meaning it can change brain pathways as well as create new network connections and this encourages progress toward the desired activities and goals. It can also increase positive emotions and help improve mindfulness and focus. Visualization can result in both physical and mental health benefits such as:
- Improved or lessened pain
- Increased healing
- Recovery from trauma
- Better sleep
- Lessened stress, anxiety and depression
- Increased feelings of well being
- More motivation and confidence
- Improved memory and focus
- Enhanced problem solving and decision making
- Better goal achievement, including health goals
For example, one study (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24124985/) showed it even helped increase fruit consumption!
The different types of Visualization
Visualization can be done individually or in groups and can be self-initiated or guided by a health practitioner. Some examples include:
- Guided Imagery- a fun and creative technique that includes the imagination to help relax, reduce anxious and stressful thoughts, and bring back focus. It is done by closing your eyes and picturing a scene (like lying on a tropical beach) and trying to use all your senses to think of the scene in as much detail as possible to put yourself in that place. You can also use guided recordings set to music that will outline the scene for you and allow you to simply follow along. This is often combined with meditation, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises (and sometimes music) to enhance the experience.
- Positive Affirmations- a technique which combines visualization with positive self-statements or mantras to help reach desired outcomes. For example, repeating affirmations and mantras such as “I am skilled and motivated” is practiced while also imagining achieving goals and overcoming challenges. Combining both the imagery and the affirmations more powerfully reinforces positive beliefs and guides thoughts towards desired outcomes and goals.
- Mental rehearsal- involves reviewing and rehearsing going through a task or event that is upcoming while visualizing feeling confident and creating a successful outcome, such as delivering a presentation or shopping/preparing a healthy meal that is part of a health goal.
- Creative visualization- this type uses tools such as a vision board (that is a collection or photos, quotes and images that represent goals for the future) or a journal/script to write out how the goal can be achieved or how a scenario will successfully play out step by step.
Tips for incorporating visualization into your regular routine
Whether you want to use visualization to deal with mental health struggles/decrease stress, as an add on to treatment for a physical health struggle, or you just want to improve focus with health goal setting, here are some tips to get started:
- Decide which type of visualization will work best for you, or you may want to include a combo of techniques.
- Carve out a specific time either weekly or daily when you will practice your visualization regularly.
- For individual, self-initiated visualization, obtain the tools or resources to begin practicing visualization such as recordings of guided imagery, step by step written techniques or instructional videos and/or creative materials such as journals/vision boards.
- If you need more help/guidance, seek out a group or practitioner that can help you or guide you in visualization.