When I was a kid, I felt very anxious when I was alone in the room at night. In order to reduce anxiety, I fantasize about having an alien friend accompanying me.
I am the only one who knows the existence of alien friends, I am the only one who can see him and understand him, and he is the only one who can see me and understand me.
Because he was what I imagined, no one could take him away from me. With him, I can fall asleep with a smile.
Throughout his childhood, he greatly helped me as an only child.
pictures are derived from the movie "The Agents of the Mind"
As I grew up, I followed the method of childhood and used my imagination to fall asleep at night. However, I no longer fantasize about alien scenes, but imagined myself finding a soul mate and later on I imagined myself finding a perfect job.
1. Whether it is children or adults, using imagination is an excellent way to reduce anxiety
Reddan, from the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, and his colleagues published a study comparing the effects of deliberate imagination and reality on the brain and found that deliberate imagination is also effective in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex in the brain, which is responsible for reducing anxiety.
Child and adolescent psychologist Dr. Charlotte Reznick agrees with Reddan and describes several techniques to reduce children's anxiety, all of which use imagination in her book The Power of Your Child’s Imagination.
pictures are derived from the movie "Jojo's Whimsical World"
2. Here are seven techniques to reduce anxiety based on imagination (some of which will make you feel beautiful):
. Breathe firstly, and then imagine a beautiful place.
This is an easy way to focus and exert your imagination:
Imagine there is a balloon inside the abdomen a few centimeters below your belly button.
Inhale slowly, and when counting to three, the balloon swells.
Then slowly exhale, the balloon fades.
You may find that after 3 to 10 breaths, you become calm and focused and ready to activate your imagination.
When you relax, imagine a beautiful place you want to go, regardless of whether you have been there in the past.
Pictures are derived from the movie "Tongchi "
Imagine this place is by the sea, on a distant island, on a mountain top, in the forest, or elsewhere?
What sound do you hear?
The sound of animals, the sound of water, the sound of wind, the sound of someone, or something else?
What do you smell? The smell of the ocean, the fragrance of flowers, or something else?
You will be surprised at how fast anxiety decreases.
. Imagine an animal, character or wizard that can protect you.
Imagine there is a fantasy animal, and the imagined character or wizard protects you. What kind of animal will
be?
Who is this person?
or which wizard is it?
Imagine, maybe you need more than one protector.
Summoning "Guardians" | The picture comes from the movie "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"
How many can you imagine?
What do they look like?
Are they big or small?
What color are they?
What kind of abilities will they give you to help you meet challenges?
. Imagine a color.
Think of a color you like that can relieve your stress.
What color will it be?
Imagine that you are surrounded by that color, and you are surrounded by this color. When you bathe in this color, inhale deeply and exhale deeply.
. Imagine body movements.
Imagine a dance or movement that will relax you. What will
be?
Explore different actions and experience which action can best reduce your anxiety.
5. Use music.
Imagine a song you like or a rhythm, it can protect you .
What song or rhythm will it be?
Try to play different rhythms with your voice or instrument you can touch.
Which one can reduce your anxiety best?
6. Try to draw or graffiti.
Draw a place you really want to go, can protect your animals or wizards, or colors you like.
If you don't know how to draw, use different colors to represent them.
7. Imagine the situation you fantasy.
If everything is possible, what do you want to happen?
What is your fantasy situation?
visualizes every detail of your fantasy situation as if it was happening, and then take some time to savor the details.
Impossible things will become possible in the mind through imagination and will relieve anxiety.
Who knows?
Impossible things may really become possible after being imagined.
often use these deliberate imagination skills to get a healthy and happy life.
End
Author | Yang Xiaoyang (119)
Proofreading | A cup of coffee English psychology compilation team Lucy
Editing | A cup of coffee All-media editorial department editor Shuxuan
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