The Power of Visual Thinking
When I think about winning Megabucks, my brain automatically and joyfully clicks into visualizing what I’d do with the cash. I see the property on the lake, the beautiful barn with happy horses, the carefree travel to beautiful places with turquoise water and the brilliant, funny, talented chef who preps amazing healthy meals. The fantasy is fun, the details are vivid, and there’s a palpable spark of energy.
When I think about my health I think in less fun terms. I think of numbers…cholesterol, BMI, or maybe some challenge like an achy joint, or this minute’s hot flash. 🔥 It’s not nearly as fun as the Megabucks imagination.
Our brains remember more of what we visualize. If what we see is desirable, there will be a squirt of serotonin (a happy neurotransmitter) into the brain and positive energy increases. Also, motivation comes more easily when we are moving towards something desirable than away from something undesirable. If we can create a positive visualization of what we want for our wellbeing and it’s meaningful to us personally (ie not a social construct of someone else’s ideal) and spend time revisiting this image periodically, it will serve us well.
This is a perfect time of year to visualize yourself in optimal health and wellbeing. Whether you’re a fan of “New Year’s resolutions” or not, taking time to check in on how you’re doing, just like checking the balance on the 401K, is incredibly beneficial.
When was the last time you visualized yourself with optimal health and wellness? Have you ever done it? This process is one of the first things we do in Health Coaching because it helps create the most meaningful goals. “What do I want to achieve? What’s important to me?” How to get there is a whole other question for later exploration, so don’t think about that yet. Imagine you win the megabucks of wellness. How would you feel? How would things be different for you? What do you dream of? Dream of the destination first, and a path forward may emerge. It’s one step at a time, and it feels fabulous.
