An effective way of dealing with memories and intense self-reflection is journaling.
A way of “letting go,” jotting down your feelings is an important part of your addiction recovery. Whether you are dependent on a substance or a behavior, Pathway Real Life Recovery is here to help bring order into your life by assisting you in your battle against addiction. There are irreplaceable tools in any battle, recovery journaling is a tool that plays an important role in restoring good mental and physical health free of chaos.
Benefits of Keeping a Recovery Journal
One of the benefits of keeping a recovery journal is the lasting impact it will have on your life. It puts your memories from the past behind you to rest peacefully and encourages your goals and dreams of the future to come forth clearly in front of you. Studies have shown that writing down your thoughts when you are in recovery helps bring your mind, body, and spirit back in harmony. Journaling empowers you with the strength you need to overcome your addiction and lead a happy, healthy addiction free life.
Be certain to write in your journal every day. Taking 20 or 30 minutes out of your day is a small amount of time that makes a large significant difference in your recovery. Writing down your feelings will lift that huge burden off your shoulders one piece at a time, one entry at a time, until every piece falls back into perfect place. Journaling helps make the “roller coaster ride” of emotions significantly smoother.
Pathways Real Life Recovery embraces journaling with open arms. Hand in hand, heart to heart, we help heal lives one page at a time.
Types of Recovery Journals
There are several different types of journals:
A Stream of Consciousness Journal - To avoid restriction of the format of your writing, stream-of-consciousness journaling is better done with pen and paper than using a computer. When writing, chose a spot that is comfortable and free of distractions. Write down your emotions or feelings regarding an event, past or present. Whether it sounds silly, crazy, or weird, just keep writing until you run out of words.
Diary Journal - A diary journal is generally used to record daily events. This type of journal helps you to recognize the daily events that may have triggered the negative thoughts bringing the addiction into your life.
Gratitude Journal - Focusing your thoughts on the positive events of your life are recorded in a gratitude journal. Expressing your thankful feelings can bring happiness and joy into “full circle” for you.
Spiritual Journal - Keeping a spiritual journal is a conscious way to keep track of your spiritual growth. Keep your journal with you, there is never a specific time of day or night when a spiritually moving experience might occur.
Health Journal - a health journal helps keep track of every aspect of your health.
Steps to Start a Recovery Journal
Choose a writing journal that reflects who you are. Getting a journal with your favorite color or material will inspire you to open it up, and start writing. Whether it’s red or blue, bound in leather or even an online app, let it become your BFF. No one is going to be judging you in your journal. Keep your entries honest, openly spill out your thoughts. In this way, you are confronting your addiction and the emotions that go along with it.
When you bring positive changes to what’s going on inside you, you can change the way you behave. Journaling brings attention to the situations and conditions where you are likely to give in to your addiction. To prevent tripping in the future, you need to remove the habits from the past that made you fall. Through journaling and other activities, such as meditation or getting back to nature, you old habits can disappear. Your life will take a new direction through recovery. The chaos that comes with addiction will be replaced with a positive organization.
At Pathways Real Life Recovery, we are here to help you get in touch with your deepest thoughts and emotions. Our treatment programs include recovery journaling and are tailored to each person’s addiction. We will strengthen and support you physically and mentally to keep you from falling down. Recording your thoughts through journaling will stack up the building blocks of your life that have tumbled. The path to recovery is only a step away, we will help you take positive steps in the right direction.
