How to Use Mental Imagery to Improve Your Life
Life is what you make it. If you’re emotionally disorganized, your thoughts will be scattered and your life will be, too, so consider ways to untangle and uplift your life’s path.
Up next in Self-Help & Improvement (50 videos)
Learn 50 ways to improve yourself with the tips in these Howcast videos.
You Will Need
- Seclusion
- Focus
- Goals
- Gratitude
- Recording device
- Practice
- Journal (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Separate yourself
Get away from distractions and people to clear your head. You should feel safe enough to relax or sleep.
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Step 2
Focus on the subject
Focus inwardly on what you want to change, whether a personal problem, an injury, or stress relief. Let your thoughts wander.
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Step 3
Breathe deeply
Breathe deeply to slow down and unclutter your mind. Visualize everything you seek in fine detail and put yourself in the picture, in control of your destiny.
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Write in a journal to tease thoughts from your subconscious before applying mental imagery.
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Step 4
State your intention
State your intention aloud and choose only one thing at a time. Keep it simple and act as if what you want has already arrived or happened.
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Step 5
Express gratitude
Express genuine gratitude for what you have and what you want to bring to yourself. Practice being at peace with your life.
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Step 6
Record self talk
Record your monologue to program your thinking and stay focused on what you desire. Play the recording whenever you need a reminder or an emotional boost.
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Don’t listen to your visualizations while driving. While driving is not the time to travel in your mind.
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Step 7
Practice anytime
Practice visualizing, mentally playing out how you will perform in activities, tests, or social situations just before you have to act. See yourself and mentally write the script to make things happen.
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Step 8
Measure your progress
Measure your progress after several weeks of visualizing your goals. Set goals to improve and focus your thinking to be in sync with your accomplishments.
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The book and movie of the same name, Men Who Stare at Goats, by Jon Ronson, is based on real events related to a secret government mind-control program.
