Reprogramming the RAS week 13
Posted: 26th July 2026
Last week we explored the importance of a decent sleep for helping support our wellbeing and lock into opportunities. This week we are exploring visualisation. So often we lock into what we want to move away from which often reminds us of what is causing us worry or distress, whereas locking into what we want to move towards can help us direct our energy into positive changes.
If we plan to make changes, have a think who will be affected by the change and what might their reaction be, maybe it’s not supportive so who else can you speak to who will be supportive, if it means a change for them to, how may they deal with that and what impact may that have on me?
A simple example can be you decide to eat more veg, the family don’t want to eat more veg and the idea of making different meals just becomes too much hassle, so how do you get people on board? This wee table may help your thinking. Remember, this post is for selfcare and reflection, if you need support to work through issues, please seek that out, we all need support at some time.
| Who else does the
change effect? |
Will I speak to them about it? | What was their
reaction? |
What was their reason for
reacting in this way? |
If it wasn’t supportive
how do I work round this? |
If it was supportive
how do I use this to help? |
What could be a win
win or good enough solution for all? |
When considering a change, be really clear have it in your mind’s eye what will the change look like. Remember, what we lock into we get more of, so be clear on the importance of locking into the positive changes you want to see to improve your mental wellbeing which re-programmes your RAS to seek out opportunities and solutions.
A vision board may help you do this. Include in the vision board images of behaviours which are the new behaviours we want to adopt, the more we vision this, the more real we make it in our mind, the more our feet take us towards that vision.
’A vision board, is a collage of images and words representing a person’s wishes or goals, intended to serve as inspiration or motivation’
Vision Boards can include images, as well as text, even samples of objects, things cut out from magazines, postcards, affirmations etc. We can make a vision board our self, we can also use it as a tool for a group, or family who want to achieve something together.
Designing a Vision Board can be fun. It’s a good idea if you plan to stick anything to the board, before fixing the elements of the Board in place to keep them loose so you can move them about until you are happy with the final version and then stick them in place, or, if there are concerns about respiratory issues using glue, take a photograph of the final Vision Boards and use that on your phone or I Pad/ tablet as something to remind and inspire you.
There are many links online about designing Vision Boards, templates, even ideas for designing them online. Have a look and see what ideas you find maybe helpful Type ‘How to create a Vision or Mood Board’ into the search engine of your choice. Just check any site you visit is reputable.
Be honest what could prevent this change and how can that obstacle be overcome, looking at the snakes and ladders tool helps you identify obstacles and what can be done to overcome them, also what rewards to plan for yourself for taking steps closer to your goals. https://www.snowdropargyll.co.uk/resources/goal-setting-snakes-and-ladders If you need help to overcome obstacles, ask.
When we take responsibility and realise the only person who can make the changes for you is you, that can be scary, however, it can also be liberating. Blaming others, or, making excuses for the situation you are in doesn’t help, nor does getting caught up in guilt. We all have regrets that’s part of being human. Learn to forgive yourself and move on, the wee tips on managing guilt may be helpful. https://www.snowdropargyll.co.uk/resources/tips-to-self-manage-feelings-of-guilt Remember also, there are some things in our control, some things we need to adapt to. Knowing where to invest our energy matters. Invest your energy wisely in what will make the most difference for you, and remember, our energy levels also need topped up again, so make time to recharge your energy levels, no one has an infinite supply! https://www.snowdropargyll.co.uk/resources/battery-dude
Wee steps get you there, pace yourself
Dip your toe in the water e.g., decided to stop smoking, well try not smoking for 2 hours to begin with see how that felt, what did you learn? Reprogramming our RAS takes time, changing habits and routines takes time. Small steps are easier to build into our day and enough wee steps lead to some pretty impressive big steps. Perhaps use the table below to reflect on areas you want to give attention and the actions you plan to take.
| Areas for attention | Actions which may help this area for attention |
Next week we will explore caring for ourselves, this will be the last in the series of reprogramming the RAS. Please remember, you matter and small changes can lead to big differences for our wellbeing and those around us including the planet.
Thanks for reading
Hilda
Expires: 2026-09-30