Nowadays, stressful situations are everywhere, so it is important to to get through the storm by being as kind to ourselves as possible. Having battled severe depression and anxiety for my entire adult life, there are a few ways that were taught to me, that truly do help even those of us with more severe issues. Of all the techniques I learned, guided imagery has been the most effective.
What is Guided Imagery?
Guided imagery is a way of calming your mind, by listening to positive meditations that walk you through peaceful scenarios, imprinting uplifting affirmations to make you feel serene and more emotionally grounded. Simply put, it fills your mind with pleasant thoughts, to counteract and replace all the negativity that is bringing your mood down.
Is it some sort of new-age thing?
No, guided imagery is a clinically proven, psychologist-recommended course of action against everything from depression, anxiety, weight-loss, pain, and other conditions. It is not about religion or chanting mantras, rather, the techniques used in it are carefully researched and planned by trained mental health professionals. Some recordings that are available for sale may contain subliminal messages, meant to give you deeper impact. In those, there are extra messages hidden in the recordings that may help you to absorb the peaceful messages even quicker. Subliminals have helped me a lot. It’s similar to hypnosis but not quite the same. You aren’t in a trance, just a deep relaxation mode that you can take yourself out of at any time.
Where can you buy or find guided imagery?
There are limited free guided imagery sites on the internet for those who aren’t looking to buy a full-length recording. For example, there’s a useful set of them at: http://members.kaiserpermanente.org/redirects/listen/ . Otherwise, sites like Amazon and Barned and Noble carry sell different brands of guided imagery tapes and CD’s. My favorites are by psychologist, Belleruth Naperstek. Her brand is called "Health Journeys" and her tapes have truly helped calm me down when I’ve felt out of joint. I was told about these recordings by mental health professionals who believe in these methods. Make sure the CD you buy is recorded by a reputable psychologist or other credentialed mental health professional.
When you feel really torn up and worn out by anxiety, it’s your job to fight it as hard as you can, with every resource available to you. Not fighting can make the mind start to "blank out," be less efficient (especially at work) and feel numb or "frozen." Avoid this by trying different relaxation techniques. Take it from someone who has spent over thirty years learning how to fight these things by reading books, going to therapy and other means; guided imagery can help you. It doesn’t have to be done every day, just do it whenever you feel down and need a lift. Try it, and relieve yourself of built-up tension, it does a body and soul good.
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