We’ve all got ’em. Those old habits that we just seem to keep falling back into. It can be anything, big or small, but we just can’t seem to overcome them. It might be something small like that bowl of ice cream every night even though you’ve vowed to lose weight. Or it could be something big like overspending and credit card debt that you just can’t stop.
Whatever it is, big or small, those old habits can seem insurmountable. Even when we know they’re bad for us and we try to change them, we can find ourselves falling right back into those old patterns. There’s just something comforting about them. Why is that?
A rule of the mind is that we’re wired to return to what is familiar and avoid what is unfamiliar. The brain resists the unknown of change and clings to the habit of the known, even if it’s not in our best interest in the long term. But here’s something amazing – you can make anything you like familiar, and trick the brain into changing!
That’s where visualizations come in. The brain doesn’t know the difference between real life and a vivid visualisation. By using our imagination, we can wire our brain to accept new experiences much easier. An example could be:
Becky has a history of doing poorly on tests. She knows the material, but as soon as she walks in to take the test, her heart races and she freezes up. Everything she studied has just gone out of her brain and it’s all forgotten. Every time now that she even thinks about a test, she knows she’ll fail so her anxiety just keeps growing and growing. But when Becky starts to visualize being a calm focused test taker, her brain is introduced to this new information and over the course of time, she’s able to change the old pattern of having test anxiety.
We know that athletes use visualizations. Other typical examples could be things like
- creating new healthy habits like diet or exercise
- fear of flying
- fear of insects
- getting nervous around a boss or teacher
- social anxiety or fear of crowds
- fear of public speaking
and the list goes on and on.
Visualizations can be used quite creatively. I’ve helped clients use visualizations to slowly introduce foods or smells that once had caused severe reactions, or to help the body relax during a panic or anxiety attack. There are so many creative ways to use visualizations to rewire the brain away from the old unwanted patterns and towards the new patterns that we want to create.
Probably the most common way to use visualizations is to help us relax. Try closing your eyes and vividly imagining a trip to the beach – the smell of the salt water, the feel of the misty salt water on your skin, the sound of the surf, and the peaceful feeling of getting away for a while. It’s almost like taking a mini vacation and coming back refreshed and relaxed. If you’re using a neural retraining program, you are probably aware of the power of visualizatons in helping the limbic system to relax. Creating visualizations is one of my favorite parts of neural retraining.
I invite you to sign up for my VIP Club and you’ll receive a downloadable mp3 for one of my favorite visualizations – Ocean Waves. Here’s the link. It’s a wonderful way to experience the power of a simple visualization to help you to calm your thoughts and fully relax.
I’d love to hear how you liked the visualization. I invite you to check out a few others on my YouTube channel.
