Each Monday, we’ll look at ways to cope well with pain and how to get yourself to use helpful techniques regularly.  It’s your at-home pain management class!

Today’s exercise is adding visualization to the relaxation skills you’re practicing.  Visualization is simply adding in a picture image to help with relaxation.  Both relaxation and visualization are intended to reduce pain through helping you be more relaxed.  The image we’ll use today is the beach.  Ahhh!

(And as you’re reading this post today, click here for sounds of the ocean to accompany your reading!)

Visualization exercise

There are several ways to use this exercise:

• read through the exercise and then do it from memory (it doesn’t have to be done exactly as I’ve written it)
• tape record the exercise yourself, then play it back for yourself to do
• have someone else read or record the exercise for you

If there’s another favorite relaxing image you have, feel free to use it.  When you’re imagining an image, it’s helpful to use as many of your senses as possible with visualization – what you hear, smell, see, feel, etc.  Some people find one favorite relaxation exercise and do just that one, while others like to vary the ones they use.  Either way is fine.

Your assignment:  Do a visualization exercise at least once a day.

Next Monday, we’ll look at “guided imagery,” which is a type of relaxation, but which also decreases pain more directly through pairing an image with pain reduction.  Other articles in this series:

• How to change a habit, part 1
• How to change a habit, part 2
• Breathing exercises, part 1
• Relaxation exercise
• How to succeed with your new habit
• Breathing exercises, part 2
• 6 great ideas to help you succeed with your new habit
• Cats succeeding at their New Year’s resolution
• Guided imagery, part 1
• Guided imagery, part 2
• Stress management, part 1
• Stress management, part 2
• Why people with pain can’t sleep
• 9 tips to get better sleep

*** Never miss a How to Cope with Pain article!  Get them delivered directly to you by email or by setting up an RSS feed.  If you liked this post, please recommend it at Reddit or StumbleUpon.