In the type of mindfulness therapy I've been learning, we're told to observe ourselves having the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that we're having. When I do this, it's not really a mind picture. It's more like I think "Yes, I'm having anxious thoughts." You sort of step aside in your mind. I'm sure you do it in other situations. Say you were watching a really funny movie and laughing at it a lot. Part of you might feel like you were observing yourself. If you don't do this or it doesn't ring a bell with you, maybe you need another technique.

Yogic breathing can help me because you have to concentrate on it and count and really be in touch with what your body is feeling. I find it almost impossible to think of much of anything else when I'm doing that type of breathing exercise.

If you have to count to six slowly and breathe in until your lungs are completely full at the count of six, you really have to pay attention to your body or you'll end up not making the "six".

Once your lungs are full, you hold your breath for a count of four and then you start to exhale very slowly to a count of eight.

When you first start doing this, you probably won't be able to do it for more than a couple of minutes comfortably. (Be careful not to get dizzy.)

Okay, another suggestion. If you have a smartphone and earphones/headphones, there's an app called Brainwave that has different selections for different states of mind.

You can play music over the top of the sounds from the app (they are very faint) if you want to. I haven't used this much. I am interested in it, but I hate wearing earphones/headphones, and the app requires it because it sends different input to each ear.

I don't think I really answered your question. I would say that you don't have to visualize yourself without thoughts. It's possible to have two sets of thoughts going on at once in your head.

You can be having thoughts about work and at the same time thinking "I am having thoughts about work. Those thoughts are making me anxious."

I think the distancing is trying to "locate" yourself in the part of you that's doing the noticing.

When I'm able to make that separation, I immediately feel relief because it's like my brain realizes that I'm not trapped there with the unpleasant thoughts and feelings that I'm having. It's sort of a shift in perspective.

If that doesn't make sense, it's probably because I don't find it easy to explain. If it doesn't make sense to you or doesn't work for you, just look for a different technique. We all have different senses that are prominent, so some people will do well with visualization techniques while others might prefer breathing exercises or even a very physical distraction like taking a shower.