Becoming more aware of where you are and what you’re doing, without becoming overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around you can help you train yourself to get unstuck from a vicious cycle of negative thinking, often a cornerstone to anxiety, depression and trauma reactions.

"When you can see in your mind's eye exactly how you would like your life to be, then you can make it a reality [through visualization].

Visualization is one of the most powerful tools for putting your ideas into action. Research has shown that people have used it successfully to help them realize their goals, whether those are to improve a golf score, overcome a phobia, lose weight, or even shrink malignant tumors (Samuels & Samuels), 1992.

When you can see yourself doing what you love, it serves as a mental practice or a rehearsal for you, because you have already done it in your mind. That makes it easier for you to do the 'real' thing."*

*Weiss, Lillie. Therapist's Guide To Self-Care, Routledge; 1 edition, April 1, 2004. Print.