Carolyn Hansen: Visualisation techniques to get the positive into your thinking

Believing in yourself and your abilities is absolutely the most important thing you can do on your journey to positive thinking. Photo / Getty Images

The results are in and continuing research proves that positive thinking has solid results. Whether you are a believer or not, the facts do not lie, positive thinking is both powerful and empowering. It's time to take all the negativity that floats around in your consciousness and turn it into positive, profitable energy using the power of positive thinking.

Believing in yourself and your abilities is absolutely the most important thing you can do on your journey to positive thinking. It is also critical in developing the self-confidence needed to carry you through in realising your goals. Ironically, in order to start the process of positive thinking, all the old negativity patterns you've been nurturing throughout your life must be deleted. These destructive thoughts must be torn away and gotten rid of in order to make room for fresh new methods and ideas.

You can access the power of positive thinking using different techniques and visualisation is one of them. It is a powerful technique anyone can employ to help accomplish and realise goals faster and with less effort.

There are a few different types of visualisation techniques you can use, but all of them require you to picture yourself achieving your goals and being the person you want to be. And, here's the key to being successful with visualisation – it only works if you really, really want it to work. This is not a part-time job – you are working with mental energy and must be convinced of your vision before it can ever be brought to life. The stronger and more detailed your visions are, the more likely they will be able to influence your current life.

Before beginning the visualisation process, it is best to mentally prepare yourself by finding a quiet, undisturbed place where you can be alone and uninterrupted. Get yourself comfortable in a seated position and use a timer (no ticking) or set an alarm to go off in 15-20 minutes. Relax your body as much as possible and clear your mind of all the incessant chatter. Focus on your breathing by taking deep breaths and following your breath all the way in and out. This helps to relax you and still your mind to prepare it for visualisation. When you consciously visualise, you are filling in the picture you've drawn in your mind. It is a pattern, and, like any creation, it requires your energy to bring it to life.

There are a few choices when it comes to choosing a visualising technique, each one with its own merits. Choose the one that works best for your needs and one that you feel comfortable with.

Guided Visualisation – This type of technique is the most powerful form available. It is best for working on your emotions and behaviours. To perform guided visualisation, choose a setting or scene in which you feel comfortable and fix this scene in your mind. For example, a sandy beach with the sound of the tide in the background could be a good choice.

Now determine what it is you want to visualise for yourself – maybe you are trying to lose weight, or possibly you lack self-esteem and want to build your confidence levels. When visualising, do not just watch yourself perform the desired action, rather instil feeling into it and fill in as many details of your picture as possible.

Beginners often make use of an audio programme, themed music or employ guided meditations by others until they can do this on their own. Remember, you are trying to reprogramme your mind so fill your vision with as many positive thoughts, feelings and emotions as you can muster. The more "life" you put into your visualisation, the quicker you will experience the results you are after.

Receptive Visualisation – This is a good technique for working on your interactions with other people. It's almost like watching a movie you are directing in your mind. For example, if you want to "seal a deal" with a business partner, visualise yourself doing so flawlessly and convincingly with your business partner agreeing as well. The more often you visualise this situation, the more likely it will happen the way you've pictured it.

Receptive visualisation can be practised anywhere in any situation to resolve nearly any problem. It is adaptable and versatile and useful for most everyday occurrences. Any time you need to speak with someone about an issue, use this method ahead of time to resolve the issue in your favour. This places you within positive energy so, when you do speak with this person, you will be ready to face the situation calmly, with clarity. By mentally preparing yourself ahead of time, you will project a high level of self-confidence and others will respond to you in a pleasant manner. It's also a great tool for easing the stresses of daily life.

Altered Memory Visualisation – This form of visualisation is especially useful in calming anger issues and conflicts. It is a powerful tool for forgiveness, whether directed toward yourself or someone else.

The main objective of this method of visualising is to envision an actual memory and alter the outcome in your mind to reach a better, more satisfying resolution.

Begin by remembering an event you want to change and recall the sights, sounds and smells just as they were. When an unpleasant memory surfaces, simply change the way you reacted previously by consciously acting differently. With practice, your mental images will soon shift to a more positive chain of events and any feelings formerly associated with this uncomfortable memory will be less effective on you.

The power of positive thinking is transformative because there is no limit to what the power of the human mind can accomplish. The possibilities are endless. It isn't just about the changes that occur within us either. It's about how the world responds to our new outlook as we radiate happiness, success and pleasant emotions. We become a proverbial magnet for love and luck and realise that not only can we live our dreams, but that we deserve to live them.

Not only will you become a better person using the power of positive thinking, but we'll be a better person to be around!

• Carolyn Hansen is co-owner of Anytime Fitness.