Visualizing Your Best Life

When I was bedridden from Topical Steroids Withdrawal (TSW), I would visualize myself already healed – having smooth and healthy skin, wearing shorts, going swimming, getting a tan, being happy and so much more. I would see myself being and doing everything I felt like I couldn’t do even though I was suffering severely in bed.

Becoming me again

Unbeknownst to me, 2 years after being bedridden, I was the person I had visualized – smooth and healthy skin, wearing shorts, going swimming in Mexico, getting a tan, and being overfilled with joy! This is when I realized the power of visualization and what can happen when I put my mind to something.

The power of visualization

Visualization is using your imagination to create images of having, doing, being whatever it is that you want. The purpose of visualizing is to have or feel like you have what it is you desire now. So instead of hoping and dreaming about what you wish you can do despite your eczema, it’s living and feeling as if it is happening to you now.

What you think, you will become

This practice is a great way to trick your subconscious mind which cannot distinguish between what is real and what is imagined. Whether the images you create reflect your current reality or not, your subconscious will act upon those images. Ever heard of what you think, you will become? That’s the power of your thoughts!

How I practice visualization

A fun way I have been able to bring my visualizations to life is by creating my very own vision board! A vision board is a poster with a collage of images that are usually very specific to your desire or that evoke a specific feeling. My vision board has served as a lighthouse that guides me back to the person I really am and not who my eczema tells me I am. Anytime I am feeling sad, stressed, or anxious, I look at the images on my vision board as a reminder.

Create your own vision board!

Interested in creating your own vision board? Below are instructions on how you can begin visualizing your best life!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Poster Board
• Magazines, article clippings or online prints
• Scissors
• Glue
• Markers, stickers, background paper *optional*

Get crafting:

• Step 1: Flip - Flip through the magazines and choose images and words that speak to you and stands out. You only want to cut out things that make you feel good!
• Step 2: Sort - Sort through and compile your images in different piles that appear to be relatable for you. For example, your health in one area and your career in another area. Note that if certain images don't feel right, eliminate them.
• Step 3: Arrange & Paste - Lay the pictures out on the board getting a sense of how the board should be laid out. Once you have an idea of how you want your board to look, paste your images! Feel free to decorate your vision board with glitter and stickers!
• Step 4: Add a photo of you - Not required, but highly suggested to add a picture of YOU in the center that shows your radiance and joy!
• Step 5: Display - Put your board in a place where you can see it regularly. The more you look at the images, the more you likely you are to act on them! (Tip: Place your board near your bed, closet, or in an area you look at every day.)
• Step 6: Act - Take conscious actions every day to obtain the items and embody the words that are on your vision board. This is the most important, yet challenging step. You must put actions towards what you place on your board. Ask yourself, “what is the next actionable step I should take in creating this result or in doing something that will get me closer to creating the results on my board?”

Practice visualization!

Repeat the images of what you want over and over again in your head daily for at least 5 minutes. The more consistent you are in this, the more likely you will create the results desired! Oh, and don’t forget to have fun! :)