Thanks for following I CARE FOR YOUR BRAIN with Dr. Sullivan and tuning in for our video lecture!
Want to learn more about the ICFYB Interactive Stroke Recovery Guide, available in paperback or as a digital download? Click here!
Click to view, print or download this FREE PDF with action steps and an interactive exercise so you can practice mental imagery in your recovery!
- Find a quiet and comfortable place to relax where you won’t be interrupted.
- Close your eyes and begin to relax your body and mind with 10 deep breaths in and out. Bring the breath all the way down into your belly button, hold it and blow it out with effort.
- Start your mental imagery session with a positive affirmation. Say this to yourself or have someone say it to you in a calm, relaxed voice: “I am recovering more and more every day. The more I put into my healing, the more I am going to recover. My brain is healing and I will use the power of my mind to visualize my successful recovery.â€
- Now, imagine yourself effortlessly completing a task that in life is now difficult for you because of your stroke. You are going to see images in your mind of your recovered self as detailed as possible. Call on all of your senses. See it, hear it, feel it and smell it. Go through all the motions in your mind’s eye with great detail. Make the picture vivid. Feel how easy it is to do the thing that is usually hard. Repeat those images over and over again including every small step.
You may get emotional when doing this healing exercise. That’s OK. If you feel like crying, let it out. Tears contain stress hormones that interfere with optimal brain functioning, so let go and let them flow!
Spend 10-15 minutes per day, ideally twice per day, with your mental images and let your healing begin. Use the interactive sheet on the next page to practice mental imagery twice a day for one week.
