This time we’re chatting to Lara Rodwell, founder of The Lonely Club and author of From Prognosis To Peace: Navigating Grief Through Gratitude, Discovery and Healing.

Hi, Lara! If you could recommend One Good Thing everyone can do to improve their mental health, what would it be?

Creating an annual vision board to become clear about what you want to manifest in a certain area of your life. I love to do this in physical form, but there are all sorts of free apps you can use to create digital vision boards. I’m just old school! You don’t have to do this just once a year either: some people do it every season or twice a year. For me, prioritising one area of my life a year allows me to fully focus on putting the time and energy into improving this aspect of my life.

Why is this your One Good Thing?

As someone prone to anxiety in the form of imposter syndrome, self-doubt and being overwhelmed about the future, vision boarding allows me to boost my confidence and self-esteem. By turning inward and reflecting on what’s important to me in my life, then putting my goals and dreams in visual form, the effects that vision boarding has on my mental health moment is profoundly positive. By actively using my vision board (using a technique I’ll go on to explain later), this isn’t just a one-time-thing self-care activity. I use my vision board daily to inch closer towards the life I want to live. In a world where so much is out of my control, using my vision board reminds me that I do have autonomy over my life, especially during times of change, uncertainty and adversity.

How do we do it?

I’ve created various forms of vision boards since the age of around 15. However, there’s a specific technique I learned in 2023 that is much more effective than the airy-fairy method I’d used before. It is inspired by a host of life coaches (my favourite being The Gem Goddess on Youtube). Here’s a five-step method that I used, specifically to align with my 2024 goal of building meaningful friendships and connections with like-minded people:

1. Get clear: I made a detailed list of the types of people I want to surround myself with. For example, the activities I want to do with them, the values we will share, the emotions I want to feel when I’m around them, how frequently we will see each other and how I’ll feel when I’m alone having built connection and belonging. I also noted why these meaningful connections are important to me.

2. Get visual: I searched for images on Pinterest, Google Images and in magazines of what I want these friendships, connections and sense of community to look and feel like energetically. I was very specific about selecting images of people expressing the emotions I want to feel, the body language I want to radiate and the types of connections I want to build. For example, I wouldn’t find images of friends going out clubbing together because I am a 25-year-old grandma and would rather go to a pottery painting workshop than a club.

3. Get creative: I created a physical vision board by printing and arranging the images I found in a specific notebook I use regularly. What made this experience even more meaningful was romanticising the process of creating the vision board by playing my favourite music, doing it at my favourite time of day and making sure I wouldn’t be interrupted. I took my time to carefully collate the images, being mindful of how they made me feel as I placed certain images next to each other.

4. Get imaginative: This is the most important step. Once I’ve made my vision board and placed it somewhere I see regularly, I actively treat the images as if they are memories that already exist in my life. Hear me out. Whether I’m actively meditating, daydreaming or simply going about my day, I really tap into the details of how these people, activities and changes that I want to see in my social life make me feel. For example, if I want to meet up with a like-minded friend who attends my yoga class for a coffee every Saturday morning, what would we talk about? Where would we go? What time? What outfit would I wear? Would I feel confident and self-assured or shy and timid?

5. Reaffirm: Then, I go back to step one (the detailed list of the types of connection I want) and read it as if it’s my present moment, as if these are things I already have. This isn’t as ‘woo-woo”’ as deciding to manifest your dream life and using the hashtag on TikTok while expecting things to happen. This technique of tapping into the energy until it feels real could take days, weeks or months of consistency and repetition. Over time, this vision will start to feel less far-fetched, and you will naturally be drawn to people, opportunities and situations that align with your vision. Become clear about what you want (within reason) and you will make it happen.

How can making a vision board in this way help our mental and emotional wellbeing?

There are so many benefits to vision boarding. It helps you visualise your goals and clarify your intentions, it makes you more aware of your deepest values and desires and it helps you make informed choices that align with your goals. It is a tangible representation of your hopes and dreams, which can be hugely motivating when you’re experiencing mental health dips or rough patches in life. Creating a vision for what you want to manifest in a certain area e.g. more meaningful connection, is an empowering first step towards living your best, most fulfilling, life. 

Are there any common pitfalls of vision boarding? How do we navigate them?

As I alluded to earlier, the most common pitfall that manifests (pardon the pun) when people create a vision board is using it as an excuse not to hold themselves accountable for putting in the hard work to get to where they want to be and reach their goals. For example, if I create a vision board displaying the meaningful connections I want to manifest in my life then continue to work fully remotely, not reach out to friends, not join any clubs with like-minded people, not put myself in situations where I’m meeting new people, avoid social interaction at all costs and not get professional help for my social anxiety, I’m not going to manifest those connections.

Your vision board helps you gain clarity over your vision and the behaviours, thoughts and actions that align with your goals. However, just because you’ve made a pretty vision board, it doesn’t mean you should wait around for the universe to grant your wishes. If anything, it should motivate you to go above and beyond to make your vision come true. To avoid your growth being stunted once you’ve created your vision board, don’t get confused by the 4th and 5th steps. While you should tap into the energy of these visions being memories that already exist, don’t be passive. Align with the energy in those images by visualising them as your reality. Then, use these visualisations as motivation to seek out these experiences IRL.

How do you personally do your One Good Thing? And how has it made your life better?

During lockdown, I got into the flow of vision boarding. Since then, I’ve written and published my first book – From Prognosis To Peace: Navigating Grief Through Gratitude, Discovery And Healing – I’ve manifested the confidence to speak live on the radio and raise over £22,000 through a charity fundraising campaign for St. Barnabas House; I’ve forged a new path in my career as a freelance writer and journalist, having recently graduated with a MA in Arts and Lifestyle Journalism; I’ve built the ability to connect and network with like-minded people through founding The Lonely Club and being an advocate for speaking up about the loneliness epidemic in the UK; I’ve manifested a long-term romantic relationship that aligns with the values and qualities I was seeking in a partner; and, finally, I’ve manifested a more peaceful, easeful and abundant state of mind. Less anxiety about the future, and more contentment in my every day. Please note, this is not to say you’ll flow smoothly through life (I certainly don’t), but you will feel more empowered in the choices you make and progress towards your goals.

Vision boarding has been the catalyst to transform my relationship with myself and the world around me. As a teenager and young adult, I very much felt like a ‘victim’ in my life. Like life was happening to me, not for me. When my dad died in September 2020, I was faced with a choice: I could either let my trauma, loss and grief send me deeper into victimhood and a mindset of lack or I could choose to use this adverse life experience as an opportunity to heal, grow and discover more about myself and what I want from life; a chance to help others going through similar adverse situations. 

Ultimately, vision boarding acted as a bridge between the scary prospect of initiating change and doing it. It’s represented a positive turning point that has since inspired me to take risks. To step out of my comfort zone. To change how I talk to myself. To be mindful of who I surround myself with and how they make me feel. Vision boarding is a constant work in progress, but it’s the starting line of infinite possibility. 

Frame Of Mind is Stylist’s home for all things mental health and the mind. From expert advice on the small changes you can make to improve your wellbeing to first-person essays and features on topics ranging from autism to antidepressants, we’ll be exploring mental health in all its forms. You can check out the series home page to get started.

Images: Getty