Can Mental Tricks Manage Pain? Day 7

Visualization If you visualize your pain as a throbbing, red mass, try to slowly shrink it or make it pink and soft. Or imagine yourself on the beach or seeing your worries melt away. “The key is knowing what kinds of things are relaxing for you and envisioning that can be helpful,” says Slawsby. “Visualization can be great for arthritis patients to ease joint pain.” You can imagine you’re in a warm bath with hands floating on the water. “Go through the whole imagery of going into the tub, your toes, ankles, knees, hip joint, lower back, middle back, shoulders,” she says. “Imagine the joints being warm and relaxed without the pressure of the regular planetary pull because you’re in the water. It gives you a buoyancy.”