And according to hypnotherapist and visualization expert Jane Ehrman, MEd, CHES, all you need to get started is a few uninterrupted minutes and a space that won’t distract you. “You want to make enough time to quiet yourself because it’s about shifting your focus from the thinking part of your mind, to the creative, imaginative part—and that’s in your subconscious,” she says. This means that it’s not a bad idea to meditate before dropping into your visualization. When we visualize, Ehrman says it lights up our neuromuscular pathways1, which connect our brain to our muscles. You know how your body tenses up when you imagine something upsetting or anxiety-inducing? That’s the mind-body connection at work—and we can use it to our advantage. While visualizing something won’t automatically make it come true, it can help your brain start to register what it feels like to have that thing. Here’s a primer on four popular visualization techniques: Try them all out and see which one works best for you. If you’re a fan of guided meditations, this technique is a good one to consider, as having someone guide you through it can be helpful (especially when you’re just getting started). And depending on the subject of the visualization and who’s guiding you, you can find guided visualizations on everything from professional success to manifesting a healthy relationship to getting a good night’s sleep. “It’s about being able to imagine yourself responding differently than you usually do and changing the story or yourself,” Erman adds. You can pair this visualization with a journaling exercise where you write as if you just completed the future task, using phrases like, I nailed my presentation perfectly and was prepared for everything that came up, for example. While these techniques won’t be a fit for everyone, visualization is one powerful tool that’s definitely worth a shot.
