Visualization Coping Skills - Mindfulness through Imagination

These activities involve using your imagination to visualize images and sensations to help improve mindful awareness of oneself and the world around us. This can aid in calming individuals when they focus on something on purpose and in the current moment. Imagination can be useful with engaging students who need more stimulation or structure. These activities involve guided imagery, self-awareness, worksheets, and instructions with pointers. As with all mindfulness activities, the focus should not be to be able to clear the mind always or to fight back thoughts and feelings that distract us. Guide your students to be aware of such thoughts and feelings. Notice what is happening as a result and attempt to resume the activity without judgment of themselves or the process.

Although coping strategies are intended to help with self-regulation when feeling upset, the best practice is to teach and rehearse these skills daily. Without practice, mindfulness is often frustrating as people are overwhelmed by their thoughts and feelings without their body being prepared to attempt these coping strategies.

Find more about mindfulness, expressive arts, and ACT on my blog.

Included in this collection are the following visualization exercises (and accompanying card deck with descriptions and prompt cards with visuals only):

1. Body Scan

2. Rainbow Breathing

3. Golden Light

4. Where do you feel it?

5. Breathing Visualization

6. Counting Breath

This is the first of 5 Mindfulness Activity resources in the Mindful Coping Skills Bundle (coming soon).

These Mindfulness Skills are ideal to pair with my other MIndful Moments as well as all Acceptance and Commitment Therapy materials.