3 Ways To Leverage The Power Of Visualization And Mindfulness For Your Mental Health

Visualization and mindfulness are related techniques that therapists and other mental health care providers may use to help their clients work toward healing or growth, and they can be used on one’s own in some cases as well. Particularly when combined, these strategies have the power to potentially improve a person’s mental health by reducing distress and increasing self-compassion, and they may even support an individual in achieving their goals. Below, we’ll discuss the relationship between visualization and mindfulness and the possible benefits of each, followed by three techniques that combine these ideas to help you on your personal journey.

Visualization and mindfulness, defined

Visualization is a strategy that utilizes the power of mental imagery. It involves picturing a certain scenario in your mind’s eye in order to shift the way you view or think about a certain topic or situation. Visualization has been used in a variety of settings throughout history.

For example, many cultures and religions include certain types of visualizations in their practices, from Tibetan Buddhism to Christianity to traditional Chinese medicine. It’s even been leveraged in industries like sports, where it’s been suggested to help athletes improve their performance. In a therapeutic setting, it may be used to address symptoms of mental illnesses like specific phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Note: Although basic visualization techniques are generally safe for most people to practice on their own at home, this may not be the case for everyone—particularly those with a history of psychosis. It’s recommended that you consult your doctor or mental health care provider before engaging in visualization.

Mindfulness can be defined as a state of nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. It’s about being aware of your body, breathing, thoughts, and surroundings in a neutral way. Mindfulness meditation, or a set of practices intended to improve one’s ability to engage in mindful awareness, has its origins in Buddhist traditions, but it’s become widely popular in recent years due to its potential physical and mental health benefits. Research suggests that some of these may include:

• Improved sleep
• Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression
• A stronger immune system
• Improved cardiovascular health
• Improved mood
• Physical pain relief
• Decreased risk of burnout

The connection between visualization and mindfulness

To understand the connection between visualization and mindfulness, it can be helpful to look at a common type of visualization exercise: guided imagery. Therapists may use this type of practice to try and help their clients conceptualize a certain scenario or feeling in a different way. Over time, this may help reduce symptoms of a mental health condition or support the individual in otherwise working toward healing or growth. 

Guided imagery is the process of sitting or lying down in a quiet space and imagining yourself in your ideal peaceful setting, such as the beach or a lush forest. Typically, a guide—like a therapist or a recorded voice on an audio track—then walks you through the imagined landscape and offers step-by-step instructions to follow in your mind. For instance, they might ask you to describe your surroundings through all five of your senses or to talk about how the setting makes you feel.

This type of visualization technique is inherently linked to the concept of mindfulness, which can in fact be thought of as the “secret ingredient” that can make visualization so powerful. In the context of guided imagery, a sense of mindfulness toward one’s imagined surroundings is what can help the person truly immerse themselves in the scene. Paying attention to not just the imagined sights but the sounds, smells, and feelings as well can help them feel transported, increasing the likelihood that they’ll benefit from the experience.

To better understand this connection, consider a 2021 study on the use of guided imagery for treating pain experienced by cancer patients. Researchers indicate that the patients were encouraged to visualize “positive and pleasant images [...] in the greatest possible detail, with the involvement of multiple senses.” They report that this method seems to produce “profound physiological consequences” because the body typically responds to this kind of visualization as it would to a “real external experience.” In other words, the greater the participant’s level of mindfulness toward their imagined surroundings, the greater the possible benefits they may receive from the visualization exercise.

3 simple visualization and mindfulness techniques you can try

Visualization and mindfulness strategies could help you reduce stress, increase compassion, and even achieve your goals. As you engage in the following techniques, try to remind yourself of the power of remaining mindful in the process.

1. Loving-kindness meditation

The loving-kindness meditation (LKM) is a type of meditation derived from Buddhist practices. Its aim is to cultivate a sense of “loving-kindness,” or a mental state of unselfish and unconditional compassion toward all beings on earth. Research suggests that this particular type of meditation may have a variety of positive potential effects when practiced over time, including reducing psychological distress, increasing self-compassion, and increasing prosocial emotions and behaviors.

While the specifics of a given LKM can vary, the meditation guide will generally ask you to start by sitting quietly and directing a sense of love and kindness toward yourself. They’ll sometimes identify a visualization you can use to picture this sense, such as a bright light. Then, you’ll be asked to imagine expanding this sense and this light in “circles of compassion” outward toward others. Many LKMs will invite you to extend your feeling of compassion specifically toward:

• Someone neutral
• Family and friends
• Someone you have a difficult relationship with or dislike
• Everyone in the world, including every creature

You can find online versions of the LKM as an audio track, a video file, or a written transcript that you can read aloud or silently to yourself.

2. Goal visualization

If you have a task ahead of you, this simple goal visualization exercise may help you get started. To begin, describe a short-term goal of yours in writing. Then, write down and mentally visualize the steps you’ll take to achieve that goal. 

For example, let’s say you need to send an email by the end of the day, and you know that you’ll need to complete some research and call a coworker before you’ll be able to do so. By writing each of these steps down before you start, you may be better able to visualize the path to success and become more mindful of potential obstacles. Picturing yourself enjoying the satisfaction of having achieved that goal could also help motivate you to begin or to keep going.

3. Creating a vision board

Vision boards are another potentially powerful tool that can involve both visualization and mindfulness. They typically take the form of a paper, a poster, or even a bulletin board on which you can paste or pin drawings, magazine cutouts, printouts, written words, and/or textiles that represent your goals or values. Depending on your needs, a vision board can function as an art project, a creative outlet, a visual reminder of your goals, or even an object of concentration for a daily mindfulness meditation practice. Making the board and then looking at it regularly can help you clarify your priorities and increase your drive and precision toward achieving your goals. 

Getting additional support in therapy

As we’ve outlined here, visualization and mindfulness are two powerful tools that can be leveraged for lots of different purposes. Whether you’re interested in reducing stress, overcoming a phobia, managing chronic pain, or working toward your goals, exploring one or both of these tactics with a therapist could be particularly helpful. Depending on your needs, your provider may choose to guide you in a visualization exercise, recommend mindfulness exercises for you to practice, or employ other techniques to help you on your journey toward wellness or growth.

If you feel uncomfortable meeting with a therapist face to face or aren’t able to commute to an office regularly, you might be interested in exploring online therapy instead. You can get matched with a licensed therapist through a platform like BetterHelp and then meet with them from the comfort of home via phone, video call, and/or in-app messaging. Research suggests that online and in-person therapy can offer similar effectiveness, and many guided visualization and mindfulness exercises can be conducted remotely as well. 

Takeaway

Visualization and mindfulness are two types of techniques that can generally be used on one’s own or with the guidance of a therapist to work toward a number of potential outcomes, from reducing stress to achieving goals. Some techniques incorporate elements of visualization in mindfulness for maximum effectiveness. If you’re interested in exploring these with a professional, you might consider online or in-person therapy.