A free stress reduction visualisation


Elsewhere on this blog you'll find some ideas about how you can help yourself if your stress levels are high.  Using you imagination is another way of doing this because what you imagine begins to feel real. This is the same as reading a book, or watching a film - you feel sad, happy, scared or joyous according to what's going on in the story even though your rational mind tells you 'It's not real'. So, if you imagine peaceful and calm thoughts and feelings, they feel real as well.

You'll notice I'm not using the word 'visualise' here. If you have the kind of imagination that paints glorious images in your mind, that's fine. But even if you don't, you still have an imagination. You can imagine what it would be like to be in the countryside in whatever way suits you, and it will work just as well.

You could just read this through, then settle down and let your imagination follow the story in your mind, but it's often easier to listen to a voice guiding you through this. So you can listen to me leading you through this scenario, via this You-tube page

However you listen or use this visualisation, please make sure you are in a safe place to close your eyes and switch off for a while (so not while driving, then!) and at a time when you are not likely to be interrupted. And then just enjoy.


The cloud


Close your eyes, and allow yourself to relax … Imagine you are out in the countryside on a beautiful spring day … This might be a place you know, or one that your imagination creates for you … You experience wonderful, peaceful feelings which you associate with this lovely place… Imagine how happy, safe and contented you feel here… Breathe in the fresh crisp air … and enjoy the gentle breeze as it touches your face.

Slowly you stroll on… you feel your muscles gently stretching and you breathe in the fresh crisp air… To your right you can see a green meadow… in the meadow, daisies gently move in the breeze, and the long grass moves with them … you can smell the clean fresh air as you breathe it in...
You turn right, and pass through into the meadow … feeling the soft grass brushing against your legs… You walk on, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face. Your whole body feels relaxed … and you breathe in the crisp fresh air … taking deep breaths of the cool cleansing air... You feel so relaxed… so at peace with your surroundings … that you may want to sit down to enjoy them.

Just ahead of you, you notice there is a soft blanket on the grass, with a jug of cooling water beside it… You sit down on the blanket and enjoy its softness … you take a drink of the cool water…
You look around and take in the green meadow … the daisies swaying in the breeze … you look up at the blue sky, with small white fluffy clouds moving gently across it.

As you sit there, feeling safe and relaxed, your problems seem a long way away … You realise that you are in control of your anxiety … and your stress… you realise that you are in control of your problems.

As you sit on that blanket, look up at the sky… look at the horizon beyond the meadow… There you see a black cloud moving across the sky…it is coming towards you moving on the breeze…. As you watch the cloud…moving towards you…you realise that it represents your anxiety, your fears and your worries... You watch the cloud and inside it you see all your problems … bundled up inside the cloud… all together in one place.

As this cloud approaches you can see all the bad feelings, the anxieties, and the fears, wrapped up in the cloud….

You now know you are strong enough to make the cloud turn away in another direction. You sit on your blanket feeling strong and positive.

Focus on the cloud and force it to turn … concentrate on your positive feelings, your new-found relaxation, strength and confidence… And as you do so, the breeze around you begins to blow a little harder. It is moving towards the cloud and taking the cloud away. You continue to enjoy all those positive feelings… You continue to focus on the cloud and the breeze blows harder still … to move the cloud away… away across the horizon.

Slowly the cloud moves towards the horizon … you can still see your anxiety and your fears in the cloud, but they are becoming more distant… moving further and further away…

As you watch, the cloud moves higher … and further away … and the sun shines more brightly … the cloud begins to disperse … disappearing and leaving the sky once more a gentle clear blue.
You sit on your blanket and take a sip of the clear cooling water... You realise that you can control your anxieties and have nothing to fear… the water here is magical and sipping it increases your feelings of strength, calm and control…

Sit quietly and enjoy this feeling of peace and strength…

Soon you will be leaving this place … but, before you do, I want you to take another sip of your special, cooling, confidence-giving water... I want you to enjoy once more the feelings of security and confidence … and realise that you can disperse the anxiety cloud any time it threatens you… any time you need to … any time at all.

And when you have enjoyed that knowledge, and those wonderful feelings for a few moments, you can open your eyes and come back to the present time and place, bringing all those wonderful feelings with you…
PS. If you want to download another free relaxation audio, and more free help with stress, click here.

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Author: is a professional stress management coach, specialising in working with individuals and smaller employers to minimise stress and maximise feeling in control.
Debbie is the author of Their Worlds, Your Words and has co-written the Hypnotherapy Handbook both of which are available from Amazon.
Find out more about Debbie's services on www.yorkshirestressmanagement.com  or phone 01977 678593

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