I have been using visualisation within my practice for many years and for people who think vividly in pictures the results have been powerful and interesting. It was when I trained in EMDR that I fully embraced visualisation as a tool and have honed the skill of using imagery with people. I thought it would be helpful to share some of the insights I have gleaned and why I encourage you to try a simple visualisation exercise this week. I’ve given you a link to one I have done to guide you through the visualisation for confidence exercise.
Imagery in everyday life
Visualisation can also be called mental imagery. It is the picture/or movie we hold in our mind’s eye. It is part of our experience of being human and arises as dreams in our sleep and also features in our everyday waking experience. For instance, it’s involved in our memories of what happened in the past when we picture the associated people and events. In a similar way, we may picture what we anticipate will happen in the future.
Imagery in therapy
Much research has been undertaken into the topic by psychologists. For instance, it’s been found that imagery-based processing tends to have a more powerful impact on emotion than verbal processing alone.
Using imagery can therefore be useful for many mental health conditions that involve ‘negative intrusive imagery’. This refers to images that repeatedly come into people’s minds, undermining their well-being. Examples include the flashbacks experienced by those who’ve experienced trauma, or the images of embarrassing social situations experienced by those suffering from social phobia, but there are many others. Involving imagery-based techniques can potentially help transform such ‘negative’ imagery.
Visualise for success
Visualisation is a technique that involves creating vivid and realistic images in our minds. It works by activating the same brain regions that are involved in actually performing the action being imagined. When we imagine ourselves doing something successfully, our brains are essentially rehearsing that activity and creating neural pathways that support the desired behaviour.
Visualisation taps into the power of our subconscious minds, which is the part that controls our thoughts, emotions, and actions. By using visualisation, we can program our subconscious minds with positive images and ideas, which can help us to overcome negative beliefs and emotions that may be holding us back. The power of visualisation can enhance an outcome because it creates the emotional and physical response alongside the beliefs we want to update, so that the old memory that might have been holding us back is being fully updated when we are utilising this approach.
Visualisation is also helpful because it helps us to stay focused and motivated on our goals. When we have a clear mental picture of what we want to achieve, it becomes easier to stay on track and make progress towards our goals.
By using visualisation techniques, we can prepare for challenging situations and improve our performance. For example, athletes often use visualisation to enhance their physical skills and mental focus. Similarly, we can use visualisation to prepare for public speaking, job interviews, or other high-pressure situations. By visualising a successful work presentation or job interview beforehand, we can boost our confidence.
Visualisation can also help us to reduce anxiety and negative thoughts. By imagining positive outcomes and rehearsing successful behaviours, we can build confidence and self-esteem.
Try out this guided visualisation to enhance your self confidence
