Recovery Vision Board: Get out the tape!
I was watching Deal or no Deal last night and the female contestant brought a vision board with her. In the middle of her board was the word “family,” so as she played her rounds picking cases, one by one, she kept her focus on why she was playing—her family.
In recovery it is crucial to know what you are recovering to. We know we are recovering from-the shame, the discomfort and the distorted thinking, but we also need to identify what we are moving toward. What do we want to add to our life? What do we want to be present for? What are hopes, dreams, ambitions and aspirations?
A vision board is a collage of images and words representing a person’s wishes or goals, intended to serve as inspiration or motivation. Recovering from anorexia and other eating disorders is tough stuff and it is easy to engage in a behavior or have a distorted thought and lose focus. The vision board helps to encourage you to get back on track. It helps to remind you of what is central to your life.
In the beginning of my recovery journey my nephews were my sole inspiration. I started recovery for them, however as my journey continued I was able to pinpoint what was central to my life- being present, to nourish my body, relationships, self-value, self-compassion and self-respect.
I grabbed out the scissors, tape and computer images and just put my final touches on it. I am a visual person so after I completed my board I put it in my kitchen so I could look at it every day. Each morning when I got my coffee I have inspiration right in front of me.
Here are some of the things that I put on my board:
- To be in a loving, intimate relationship
- To build my private practice and to help others
- To write all day
- To play Can Jam with my family in the backyard
- To lay in a raft in my pool reading a book
- To nourish my body with nutritious and sustainable food
- To share my story
- To love my nephews with all of my heart
- To find value in my personality, intelligence and creativity
- To take lazy naps on the weekends
- To trust my body
- To respect my body
So what are you recovering to? Grab a poster board, some magazines, scissors and glue and create your vision board today. Yes you will feel like you are in an elementary art class, but it is so worth it. And it’s a Saturday – a perfect time for a recovery project.
Recovery is possible.
Serenity Always,
Meredith
