Guided imagery may help reduce anxiety, symptoms of depression, and perceived levels of pain. It may also help improve your sleep quality. You can try this low cost and noninvasive therapy from your home.

It’s common to encounter stress occasionally throughout life. But constant stress can damage your overall health, making it difficult to relax.

Guided imagery, also known as visualization or guided meditation, is a relaxation technique that may help manage stress. It involves visualizing positive, peaceful settings to help settle your mind and body.

Guided imagery is a type of focused relaxation or meditation. Focused relaxation involves concentrating on a specific object, sound, or experience to calm your mind.

In guided imagery, you imagine a peaceful place or scenario. The goal is to promote a calm state through relaxation and mindfulness. The idea is that your body reacts to your thoughts.

For example, if you think about a stressful situation, your body and mind may become tense. Your heart rate and blood pressure might increase, and you may feel jittery and unfocused.

But if you focus your attention on pleasant scenarios, your mind and body tend to relax. You may feel less tightness in your muscles, and your mind might feel calmer and more at ease.

By learning to calm your mind and body, you may be better able to cope with emotional and physical stress.

Guided imagery may be able to positively affect your health and well-being in several different ways.

May reduce anxiety and stress

A 2018 study of 78 adults comparing nature-based guided imagery to non-nature-based guided imagery found that those in the nature-based group had improved levels of anxiety compared with those in the other group.

In a small 2023 study of 20 people with anxiety disorder living in a state institute of mental health, treatment intervention with guided imagery was associated with an improved quality of life compared with the control group.

Guided imagery may also be particularly helpful for soothing your body’s physical response to stress and anxiety, by potentially helping to lower:

A 2018 study suggests that guided imagery may help decrease pre-surgery anxiety. Similarly, in another 2018 study, guided imagery was associated with lower pre-test anxiety in students.

The respondents in both studies self-reported their answers.

May improve sleep

A 2024 study of 31 people who had surgery performed on a slipped disc found that guided imagery was associated with better self-reported sleep scores in both the pre- and postoperative period.

Guided imagery also had the additional benefits of lowering levels of preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain.

In a small 2021 study of 41 adults with chronic insomnia, researchers assessed the effects of yoga nidra, or yogic sleep. This type of tantric yoga combines guided imagery with the corpse pose (Shavasana).

The researchers found that yoga nidra may help improve self-reported:

  • total sleep time
  • sleep efficiency
  • number of awakenings after falling asleep
  • time it takes to fall asleep again after waking up
  • sleep quality

May decrease pain

Experts of a 2021 research review suggest that guided imagery is a safe and noninvasive technique that may help manage pain related to the musculoskeletal system.

For those undergoing chemotherapy, participants listed improvements in perceived pain as one of the potential benefits of guided imagery, among other improvements related to:

The Arthritis Foundation suggests that this technique may also help relieve pain perceptions related to achy joints.

Reduced depression symptoms

According to a 2018 study of 80 people undergoing hemodialysis, anxiety and depression are commonly experienced among this population.

However, after treatment with guided imagery, self-reported levels of anxiety and depression were lower in the group that tried the visualization intervention than in the control group.

In a 2019 study, 1 week of daily guided imagery was associated with reduced symptoms of depression in people with cancer. The participants also reported reduced pain and anxiety.

You can practice guided imagery at any time and anywhere, and it doesn’t require any special equipment. In general, here’s what you need:

  • a quiet spot
  • a comfortable place to lie down or sit
  • a guided imagery audio recording (optional)
  • headphones (optional)

Guided imagery audio recordings are available on many platforms, including:

Your local bookstore or library may also have guided imagery CDs.

Follow these step-by-step instructions to try guided imagery without an audio recording:

  1. Sit or lie down in a quiet, comfortable area.
  2. Close your eyes. Take several deep breaths, and keep breathing deeply as you continue this relaxation technique.
  3. Imagine a peaceful scene, such as a lush forest, majestic mountain range, or quiet, tropical beach. Or think of your favorite place in nature that makes you feel relaxed.
  4. Use your five senses to imagine the details in the scene. Imagine the sounds, scents, and sensations of being in this peaceful, calming place.
  5. Envision a path in your scene. Picture yourself walking along the path, imagining the details and sounds as you walk this path.
  6. Relax in your scene for several minutes. Continue breathing deeply.
  7. After 15 minutes, count to 3. Open your eyes.

If you’re new to guided imagery, you may want to try it after doing yoga or progressive muscle relaxation. When your body is relaxed, your mind may have an easier time relaxing, too.

These tips may be helpful if you’re just getting started with guided imagery:

  • Preparation:
    • Wear comfortable, loose clothing.
    • Turn off your phone and other electronics. If you’re listening to a recording on your phone, set it to “do not disturb.”
    • Choose a quiet area where you won’t be disturbed.
  • Practice:
    • If you choose to use audio, it’s recommended to listen to a recording rather than watch a video so you can keep your eyes closed.
    • Don’t worry about how well you’re doing. Let the process happen by itself.
    • Record how you feel afterward in a journal. You’ll be able to track your stress levels to determine if they have improved.
  • Troubleshooting:
    • If imagining peaceful settings doesn’t come easily to you, look at images or videos for inspiration beforehand.
    • If your mind strays from the scene, take a deep breath and gently redirect your focus.
    • Guided imagery takes practice. If sitting still for 15 minutes is too much time, start with 5 minutes a day, and then increase from there.

Guided imagery uses the power of your mind to form relaxing, peaceful images that blend your thoughts and senses. It doesn’t require any equipment, is cost-effective, and is noninvasive.

Research has shown that guided imagery may be a helpful technique for potentially reducing:

  • anxiety
  • stress
  • pain
  • depression
  • sleep issues

If you experience depressive thoughts, heightened stress, or anxiety with this technique, it’s important to talk with a therapist before continuing.

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