Visualization for calming anxiety and being fully present

A calm place practice to help you manage anxiety

This practice from Mindful Living Counselling is helpful if you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

deep breathing

Breathing technique

Start by bringing your awareness to your breath.

Just noticing the natural inhale and exhale of your breathing.

Notice the flow of your breath.

Grounding technique

standing bear foot on grass

Next, I’d like you to bring your awareness to your feet.

Noticing your feet connected to the ground helps to feel settled and grounded.

If you’re wearing shoes, notice your shoes on your feet.

Really allowing all of your awareness to come to your feet.

Increasing body awareness

Moving up your body, bring your awareness to your legs. Even feeling your legs from the insides, just really allowing your attention to go to your legs.

And now, moving up your body bring your awareness to your torso. Noticing your clothing on your body.

Even begin to notice the subtleties of your clothing moving as you’re breathing.

Really just becoming aware of your body, right here, right now.

Guided imagery

Now we’ll begin the imagery of the calm place.

I’d like you to bring to mind a place that you have either been or would like to go that represents somewhere that is very peaceful and very calm.

Often times people pick a place in nature, like a beach, a river, an ocean, a hiking trail, a lake, or a mountain.

Somewhere that you would either like to go or that you have been that feels settling and calming.

Using your five senses

1. What you can see

When this place is clear in your minds eye…I‘d like you to fire your five senses… So first in your mind’s eye…

I would like you to look around this place and see the landscape… see the colours, the textures…

Notice if the sun is shining or if it is shady…become aware of what you would see as you look around.

2. What you can hear

Next…bring awareness to the sounds you would hear.

The sounds that are close up and the sounds that you would hear at a distance.

Really taking in any of the calming and soothing sounds that are in this place.

3. What you can smell

Next, I’d like you to take in any scents that are in this calming place. If you are at the beach you might smell the salt water, the sea air, suntan lotion.

Just take a moment to take in any of the scents that are in this calming place.

4. What you can feel

Next, I’d like you to take a moment and imagine what this place would feel like on your skin.

Are you under the sunlight or shade?

Is it warm or humid?

Or is it cool…and brisk?

Is it windy?

Just take a moment to really imagine what it would feel like to be in this place.

5. What you can taste

And now, take a moment to notice what you can taste in your surroundings.

Absorbing calm

Next, I’d like you to just take another moment to absorb anything else that feels particularly calming and soothing from this calm place.

We’ll close this practice with three soothing inhales and exhales:

Inhale…and exhale….inhale… and exhale….Inhale…and exhale…

Super short meditation

Hit reset with this super short meditation from Headspace, guided by Andy Puddicombe. This meditation encourages us to pause and reset between tasks, helping you feel more present and better able to enjoy whatever comes next.

water drop

Mindfulness in Plymouth

Frances Rayner at Dove Counselling in Plymouth offers 1:1 therapy sessions tailored to your individual needs and circumstances. Reach out to Frances today to schedule a FREE 15-minute initial consultation, with no obligation to book.

To find out more about Dove Counselling in Plymouth, or to book a FREE 15 minute initial phone consultation, please telephone Frances on 0740 865994 or send an email

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