Stressful times can leave us feeling like the ground is shifting beneath us. When the world feels heavy, I turn to vision boards. They can be a terrific way to reconnect with hope, creativity, and possibility.

In this blogpost I share how vision boards have helped me through uncertainty, along with ideas you can use to soothe your nervous system, nurture self-growth, and imagine a better future for us all.

I think this piece will speak to you if you wonder how to stay grounded and inspired when life feels overwhelming.

Stressful times can make vision boards seem out of place and the kind of thing you might save for easier days. But I believe vision boards are more helpful than ever during uncertainty. They are designed to help ease fear, doubt, and anxiety, especially about the future, so what better thing to do than work with vision boards when the going gets weird.

There’s a quote I’ve always loved: “Hard times require ferocious dancing.” It reminds me that when the world feels chaotic, sinking completely into despair doesn’t solve anything. Of course it’s natural to acknowledge what’s happening and to feel the loss of certainty. But the real shift comes when you dig beyond a dark pit and reach into that deeper wellspring of creativity, resilience and fierce fire that lives way down inside you. That is the place where the answers live and that is the place where vision boards come from.

You see vision boards are not only about setting goals or collecting pretty pictures of things you want. More often than not, the process of making vision boards reveals something more meaningful. It reveals your most beautiful qualities rising to the surface through images and words.

If you set an intention for your vision board to bring clarity, solutions, or inspiration, your unconscious will guide you in that direction. That’s the nature of art making.

Art is a direct link to the unconscious, to that inner powerhouse that holds your creativity, wisdom, and joy. Vision boards are simply another form of art. They give you a way to tap into strength, playfulness, and problem-solving that might feel out of reach in darker moments.

This isn’t always magical thinking. It’s creative thinking. And through the act of making, you call upon mighty internal allies that help you see reality differently and reclaim hope, even in the bleakest of times.

My Story of How a Vision Board Helped During a Stressful Time

Many people think the only time to make a vision board is at New Year’s. But long before vision boards became a January ritual, I was making them at turning points in life like after a big move, during life changes, or in seasons of despair. For me, the practice was never about a date on the calendar. It was about necessity. When times were tough, making a vision board was essential.

I remember this most clearly in 2020. After publishing a successful vision board clip art book, I was supposed to move to Austin, Texas, to start a new job. My plan was set in stone. But just as I was about to move, the world shut down. Suddenly I was living on a friend’s couch, unable to relocate, uncertain of what came next. Everything I thought I could rely on had collapsed. In that moment, creating a vision felt like survival. I didn’t know what the future would hold, but I needed a way to imagine something beyond fear and uncertainty. My vision board during that time wasn’t specific. It wasn’t about the job or the city anymore. It was about holding onto hope, insisting that something new and wonderful was still possible, even if I couldn’t yet see how.

Months later, life did change—completely. Instead of Austin, I ended up in Los Angeles, beginning an entirely new chapter I hadn’t anticipated. And it’s not like I moved to Los Angeles and suddenly everything was perfect. But there was more light in my life. I found an oasis where I could start to work through the remaining challenges.

That’s what I want to emphasize most of all: vision boards don’t erase stressful times, but they give you the emotional and energetic strength to begin solving problems. They create a shift in perspective so you can start to see options, opportunities, and openings that weren’t visible before. A vision can carry you forward into a life you never would have guessed for yourself.

So after telling that story, I want to turn toward you. If you ever find yourself in a season of stress or uncertainty, know that your vision board can become more than a collage of goals. It can be a place of comfort, creativity, and perseverance.

I have a few ideas of what you might include on a vision board for stressful times. These ideas can be grounding in any season, but they become especially meaningful when life feels heavy. Think of this a different way to create a vision board that not only dreams of the future, but also holds you steady and safe in the present.

Your Nervous System Might Need a Vision Board in Stressful Times

When stress takes over it’s your nervous system that pays the price. Cortisol levels spike, the sympathetic system kicks into overdrive, and everything in you begins to feel raw, unmoored, and on edge. This is why the very first order of business in a vision board practice during stressful times is not setting goals or chasing dreams, it’s calming your nervous system.

Your board needs to include content that makes you feel safe, here and now, while also giving you a subtle reassurance that safety can extend into the future.

Think of this section of your vision board as a personal sanctuary. Choose images, words, colors, and symbols that soothe you. That helps you breathe a little more deeply. That reminds you of comfort, love, or a quiet sense of belonging. For some, that might look like a photo of rolling green hills or a wide open meadow under sunlight. For others, it may be the steady presence of an animal, the image of water flowing gently, or a phrase like “I am safe. I am loved. I can rest.” These aren’t just decorations. They are anchors for your nervous system, guiding it back toward balance.

It’s important to be clear about what this section is not. It isn’t about goals — at least not yet. This part of your vision board is not about saying “I will do this,” “I will have that,” or “I will be successful at ___.” Instead, it’s about restoring your capacity to feel safe, calm, and held.

It is not a perfect fix as it won’t make fear or grief vanish instantly. But it does open a pathway… a slow softening, a gentle lowering of the walls your nervous system builds when everything outside feels chaotic. And in that softening, you begin to reclaim your inner calm, which is the ground you need before you can dream again.

A Space for Your World to Heal

Another part of your vision board can hold images or words for healing the world. This doesn’t have to be tied to a single news headline or today’s crisis. Instead, it can be broad and hopeful: “Peace at long last.” “Clean air is flourishing.” “Responsible and wise leaders are guiding us.” These are not about predicting exact outcomes. They are about opening space for possibility.

Another approach is collective visualization or global manifesting: imagining what you want the world itself to look and feel like. Yes, the news often shows us a dystopian picture, and sometimes those images linger. But if you’ve lived long enough, you’ve seen the cycles. Times get hard, then they soften, and eventually they shift. Change is always moving.

You may not be able to control world events, but you can choose your vision. Ask yourself:

• If things are being dismantled, what do I want rebuilt?
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• What’s my vision for the collective future?
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• What kind of world do I want to help nurture?
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Creating a global vision board, or even simply spending time in quiet imagination, can be both soothing and powerful. It gives you peace of mind while also sending energy into the collective, a gentle contribution to the larger story we are all a part of.

(If you’d like a little support, I’ve created a World Vision Board Clipart Starter Pack you can download here.)

What Would Wallace Wattles Do?

Wallace Wattles, the author of The Science of Getting Rich, shaped much of what we now call manifesting philosophy. His perspective is simple yet profound: refuse to see anything except abundance and goodness in the world.

That might sound bold, but Wattles believed it is not only okay, it is right to desire more. He taught that we live in an infinite supply and that aligning with this truth is far more powerful than competing for scraps. To him, the path was clear: master the art of seeing truth and possibility even when circumstances suggest lack.

His approach calls us to become what he described as an “advancing person” — someone who uplifts others, moves forward with steady faith, and naturally attracts opportunities. This isn’t about denial. It is about focus. It is about choosing, again and again, to see, feel, and create your own reality no matter what the outside world is saying.

My favorite reminder from Wattles is this: There is no lack. There is no limit. There is no taking, only making.

It’s a discipline of vision. And, in many ways, it is also an act of courage.

​Click Here to download the full text of Wallace Wattles’ classic The Science of Getting Rich.

Self-Actualization in Hard Times

Here’s something that I think is important: self-actualization does not pause just because the world is in crisis. In fact, hard times can stir us to show up even more fully as ourselves.

Whatever lights you up, whether it earns money or not, deserves a place in your life and on your vision board. Give it room. Share it. Express it. This is how we stay alive inside, how we nourish our spirits, and how we add to the collective healing.

For me, self-actualization is the heart of it all. It means expressing our gifts, honoring our unique talents, and allowing the authentic self to shine in ourselves and in others. That is the ground of all that is good. It is what keeps me making art, creating vision boards, and holding onto the vision of what is possible.

And maybe, especially now, it’s what we all need most.

All the best,
Melissa Meredith Wells
​misswells.com​

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