Stress Management: Mental Imaging
What is mental imaging?
This relaxation technique is also called autogenic training. It consists of mental exercises that create feelings of heaviness and warmth in your muscles.
How do I do this exercise?
Sit in a comfortable chair or lie on the floor in a quiet room. Close your eyes. Concentrate on a specific muscle group, then visualize and feel this muscle group relax. Do the exercise for each of the following muscle groups:
- forehead and scalp
- eyes
- nose
- face
- tongue
- jaws
- lips
- neck
- right arm
- left arm
- right leg
- left leg
- back
- chest
- stomach
- buttocks and thighs.
For example, while you visualize and feel the muscles in your forehead and scalp relax, say to yourself, "My forehead and scalp feel heavy, limp, loose, and relaxed."
Do these exercises twice a day. Each exercise session should last 5 to 10 minutes.
Other relaxation methods you may wish to consider are diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.
