Using our imaginations can bring us feelings of joy when we dream of best case scenarios and better outcomes to problems. Or it can make us feel anxious and depressed when we think the worst. Using your imagination to release anxiety is a powerful tool to combat anxiety and depression.
“The best use of imagination is creativity. The worst use of imagination is anxiety.” –Deepak Chopra
Using the imagination to release anxiety.
For better or worse, we humans are blessed with imagination. We can create elaborate realities that pass the time as pleasant daydreams. But just as easily we can imagine scenarios that leave us breathless with fear and anxiety.
Bad news has become a constant staple. Many threats, though real, are overblown to get more people to react in equally overblown ways. Our society operates in fear and anxiety and then offers medications and internet advice on how to deal with those emotions.
Everyone has one powerful antidote to fear and anxiety and that is imagination. As Deepak Chopra says, imagination is what feeds fear and anxiety, and channeled correctly, it can also fuel a stronger sense of optimism and hope.
Imagine better outcomes.
Imagination used in its best form can create a reality that is much more in keeping with the best our world has to offer. And if we can imagine a better future, we are more likely to achieve it.
Here are six ways to release the anxiety and tap into a more positive use of imagination:
Think comfort and safety.
When I was young and feeling anxious, I used to imagine myself sleeping in the palm of God’s hand – totally cared for and safe. That image helped me relax, breathe, and let go of what was scaring me. Take some time to remember when and where you have felt the safest and use that image to help regain your breath and calm your mind. If you are having trouble thinking of a safe space, create one using a place you love or would love to visit, and imagine yourself there, content, safe, and at peace.
Breathe.
Breathe slowly and deeply when anxiety hits. Focus on feeling your breath entering and nourishing your body and spirit. If you can’t easily control your breathing, try using a breathing or meditation app to help you visually regulate inhaling and exhaling. A calm mind is more able to imagine positive possibilities. Practice slow, even breathing to calm your mind, and once in a relaxed state, it is ready to help you imagine better outcomes.
Remember abundance.
Whenever I am worried about money or my future, I remind myself that the universe is an abundant place with plenty for everyone. Close your eyes and imagine having enough or more of everything you need and want. Anxiety melts when you can imagine all of your needs met, and the more you cultivate the feeling of abundance, the more abundant your life will become.
Practice gratitude.
I have a roof over my head, clothes to wear, and food to eat. For today, I have everything I need (and most of what I want). Similar to remembering the abundance of the universe is acknowledging all you have and being grateful for it. Use your imagination to cultivate a feeling that acknowledges your enormous luck and blessings. It will relax the mind and allows you to feel luck, rather than lack.
Go outside.
Set aside an hour to walk or go for a run in nature. Work in the garden, rake up dead grass, gather some flowers. Fresh air and activity do wonders to clear negative energy and help you imagine new possibilities. It is hard to feel anxious when the sun is on your face and birds are singing around you.
Create a vision board.
Once you have calmed your mind, creating a vision board is a fun way to use your imagination to design a better outcome to whatever situation is causing stress. Use old magazines and a notebook or one of the vision board apps that are available and collect images of the outcomes you desire. The pictures should reflect not just the things you want, but the feelings that are invoked when you think of the ideal outcome. Keep it fluid and update it often to start using your imagination more productively.
Imagination is a wonderful tool to help us create and escape the everyday. But when we imagine the worst that can happen, anxiety is the result. These days the future can feel scary and uncertain. By harnessing the imagination, we can release our anxiety and create new possibilities for the future.