Skip to main navigation Skip to main content Skip to footer For Medicare For Providers For Brokers For Employers Español For Individuals & Families: For Individuals & Families
Shop for Plans

Shop for Plans
Shop for your own coverage
Medical Dental Other Supplemental
Plans through your employer

Learn about the medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral, and voluntary benefits your employer may offer.

Explore coverage through work
Learn
How to Buy Health Insurance Types of Dental Insurance Open Enrollment vs. Special Enrollment See all topics
Looking for Medicare coverage?
Shop for Medicare plans
Member Guide
Find a Doctor
Medical Dental Other Supplemental Explore coverage through work How to Buy Health Insurance Types of Dental Insurance Open Enrollment vs. Special Enrollment See all topics Shop for Medicare plans Member Guide Find a Doctor Log in to myCigna
Home Knowledge Center Wellness Library Stress Management: Imagery Exercises

Stress Management: Imagery Exercises

Topic Overview

The methods described here help you relax, relieve stress, and feel better.

Imagery for releasing muscle tension

Close your eyes and imagine one of the following:

  • Wax softening and melting.
  • A tight, twisted rope slowly unwinding.
  • Tension swirling out of your body and down the drain.
  • You holding a remote control and turning down the volume on your muscle tension.

Imagery as a mini-vacation

Take a 10-minute trip in your mind to someplace you enjoy. The place may be a quiet, peaceful scene or a fun activity. It may be a favorite place from your past or some place you have never seen but can imagine.

  • Picture yourself there in as much detail as possible. Imagine the sounds, smells, sights, and feelings.
  • Let your body and mind respond as if you were actually there. Your thoughts will be calmed or brightened, your muscles will relax, and a feeling of letting go will come over you.

Color imagery

Color imagery is good for combating daily hassles and tensions.

  1. Close your eyes and scan your body for tension or discomfort. Picture the color red and associate it with this tension. Imagine all the tense parts of your body as red.
  2. Take a deep breath and change the color from red to blue. Imagine the tension slipping away as the areas change from red to blue. Experience the relaxation associated with the color blue.
  3. Now imagine the color blue becoming deeper and darker, and relax further with each shade of blue.

Practice changing the tension color from red to blue with each daily hassle you confront. Imagine the color blue as your cue to relax.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.

To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org.

© 1995-2022 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

Related Links

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Stress Management Stress Management: Helping Your Child With Stress Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder Stress Management: Breathing Exercises How to Track Your Stress

<cipublic-spinner variant="large"><span>Loading…</span></cipublic-spinner>

Page Footer

I want to...

Get an ID card File a claim View my claims and EOBs Check coverage under my plan See prescription drug list Find an in-network doctor, dentist, or facility Find a form Find 1095-B tax form information View the Cigna Glossary Contact Cigna

Audiences

Individuals and Families Medicare Employers Brokers Providers

Secure Member Sites

myCigna member portal Health Care Provider portal Cigna for Employers Client Resource Portal Cigna for Brokers

Cigna Company Information

About Cigna Company Profile Careers Newsroom Investors Suppliers Third Party Administrators International Evernorth

 Cigna. All rights reserved.

Privacy Legal Product Disclosures Cigna Company Names Customer Rights Accessibility Non-Discrimination Notice [PDF] Language Assistance [PDF] Report Fraud Sitemap

Disclaimer

Individual and family medical and dental insurance plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (CHLIC), Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc., and Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc. Group health insurance and health benefit plans are insured or administered by CHLIC, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CGLIC), or their affiliates (see a listing of the legal entities  that insure or administer group HMO, dental HMO, and other products or services in your state). Accidental Injury, Critical Illness, and Hospital Care plans or insurance policies are distributed exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, are administered by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, and are insured by either (i) Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (Bloomfield, CT); (ii) Life Insurance Company of North America (“LINA”) (Philadelphia, PA); or (iii) New York Life Group Insurance Company of NY (“NYLGICNY”) (New York, NY), formerly known as Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. The Cigna name, logo, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. LINA and NYLGICNY are not affiliates of Cigna.

All insurance policies and group benefit plans contain exclusions and limitations. For availability, costs and complete details of coverage, contact a licensed agent or Cigna sales representative. This website is not intended for residents of New Mexico.

Selecting these links will take you away from Cigna.com to another website, which may be a non-Cigna website. Cigna may not control the content or links of non-Cigna websites. Details