Daily Challenge Tuesday Nov. 09, 2010
Emotional Health
Everyday Well-Being
Visualize a place that's beautiful to you.
How to do it
Sit down or lie down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Take a few slow, deep breaths. Then picture yourself in a place where you feel peaceful, relaxed, comfortable, and surrounded by beauty -- like the beach in Waikiki, an enchanted garden, or a Swiss alpine meadow. Notice all the details of this place, including sounds, smells, and temperature. Relax and enjoy your surroundings. When you're ready, imagine that you slowly leave your peaceful spot. Remember the details so that you can return to that place whenever you wish.
Why it matters
The human body has its own natural relaxation response, a state of deep restfulness that's a natural antidote to and the polar opposite of the stress response. You can activate your body's relaxation response by engaging in activities that are pleasurable and calming to you like reading a good book, writing in a journal, or engaging in hobbies. But you can also engage in techniques that evoke the body's relaxation response and can be used for stress relief like deep breathing, yoga, tai chi, and massage therapy. Imagining yourself in a peaceful setting is a relaxation technique known as "visualization," or "guided imagery," that can be effective in relieving stress.
Fun fact
The Everly Brothers song, "All I Have to Do is Dream," was one of the biggest hits of 1957.
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I will do it later this evening using CD that I bought to help relief stress.
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Christina F. replied November 18, 2010 at 22:25 UTC:
may I ask what its a cd of? :)
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I did this on my dinner break at work. I ran some errands, then ate my sandwich in the car. Let my seat recline, and imagined I was napping in the clover bed under the walnut tree at my childhood home. The scents and humidity of that clover bed have never left my memory, even though it's been almost two decades since my family lived there. Totally relaxed me and put me in a better mood for hte last two hours of work.
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Christina F. replied November 18, 2010 at 22:27 UTC:
Julia, thats a great one. I havent done that in years. I wonder when as a kid we could do stuff like this and we knew how to relax and then as adults, we just forget to take the time to enjoy the small stuff.
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My mind is a powerful tool and always has been...I can transport myself to a beautiful place, or relive a pleasureable event just by closing my eyes and letting my mind take over...a deserted beach in Mexico today.....
March 20, 2011 at 4:47 UTC