Hi, everyone! I’m Shannon, and I’ll be writing the Living Well blog here at PriorityMe.com (I also write the Ask Away column in the PriorityMe.com newsletter—check it out sometime, or send me a question!). Living Well is all about women’s health and wellness—not just physical health, but emotional, social, and psychological health as well. As a busy mother of two young children, a work-at-home writer, and a clinical psychologist, I’m well aware of both the necessity and the difficulty of balancing mind/body health with the stresses of daily life, and I bet you are too. I hope that here at Living Well, we can talk about ways to stay healthy and more fully enjoy every day—even the ones that leave us wishing for an extra pair of hands (and an extra shot of espresso).

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the power of positive visualization. It was a long winter where I live, and in recent months the combination of long-lasting bad weather, a poor-sleeping toddler, and stir-crazy days stuck inside with two small children has punted me into a rut of skipping too many evening runs to drown my restless, burned-out mood in bowls of ice cream and trashy cable TV. As you might imagine, this pattern has had unpleasant effects on both my body and my mind. It’s funny how even when you know something is bad for you (mint-chocolate chip, trading exercise for Law and Order reruns), it can be hard to shake yourself free of it and re-energize your healthy motivation.
To combat this slide into crankiness and poor health, I’ve begun consciously visualizing how I want things to be: sunny, warm (at last!) spring weather, inspiring me to resume my regular outdoor workouts; strong muscles from hilly runs; evening ice cream as a well-deserved treat rather than a form of self-medication; fun mornings with my toddlers at the playground instead of trapped inside due to sleet and wind. I imagine how good it feels to get outside, be active, eat well. I picture weeks that are more balanced than my current ones, future days of spring and sunshine—more laughter, less drudgery. Visualizing these things as vividly as I can reminds me that that they will happen, that spring weather will come, that it feels better to maintain my regular exercise routine than overdose on momentary comforts. Most importantly, visualization propels me out of the negative mood that causes my unhealthy habits in the first place; it cheers me up and therefore inspires me to make better choices.
I’d love to hear if any of you ever use visualization in your own lives, and how it works for you!