Has it been a stressful day at work? Are you having a hard time calming your nerves? Do you feel like giving up on your diet for an all out stress-eating session? Don't reach for that bag of chips just yet--you can deal with stress through visualization.

Visualizing yourself hitting your goals is a surefire confidence builder, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. Here's why: "Visualization may create patterns in your brain for feeling proud, calm, and assured, making it easier to tap those feelings later," says Sandra E. Short, PhD, author of the book Self-Efficacy in Sport.

Have a specific need in mind? Picture the scenarios below and see positive results.

(First published as "Ego Boost" in the "Scoop!" section of Women's Health Philippines' November 2010 issue. Adapted for use in Female Network. Photo by RelaxingMusic via Flickr Creative Commons.)