How a Recovery Journal Can Help You Maintain Your Sobriety

If you have kept a journal or diary at any point in your life, you are probably already familiar with how therapeutic it can be to write down your thoughts and feelings. Doing so not only makes you feel calmer and more in control, but in going back and reviewing previous entries, you can put your progress in perspective.

Keeping a journal can benefit your mental health, but it can also be a tremendously useful tool if you’re working through the daily challenges associated with addiction recovery. Let’s explore some of the top advantages of keeping a journal, and you can decide whether to use this writing exercise to strengthen your recovery efforts.

1. Getting to Know Yourself

If you are trying to work on the root causes of your addiction, it can be helpful to spot patterns behind your triggers, cravings and the issues you struggle with most. You might also benefit from being able to identify specific negative thoughts and emotions that can put your recovery efforts at risk. When you can recognize harmful self-talk creeping in, you can take steps to reframe it into more positive language.

It’s both unhealthy and unconstructive to keep difficult emotions pent up inside. Retaining bottled-up feelings can overstress you and threaten your sobriety. Your journal, therefore, can be a quiet, safe place for you to express yourself with no worry about external judgment or criticism.

2. Evaluating Your Progress

If you are still in the early phases of your recovery, you might be relying on your journal as an outlet for your most complex, confusing emotions. Given enough space and time, you’ll see a bigger picture start to emerge as you get a more complete sense of what you need to navigate the waters of recovery. Your journal entries will reflect your growth and development one day at a time.

As you continue to make progress in your recovery, your journal can begin to serve as a series of inspirational messages from your previous selves. When you have a few moments to spare, take a few minutes to review your earliest journal entries and compare them to the more recent ones you’ve written. You will probably be pleasantly surprised by the progress you’ve made, which can enable you to let go of your past and begin starting over.

3. Freeing Your Mind of Burdens

If you struggle with anxiety, you already know the rush of unwanted feelings and intrusive thoughts it can bring on. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed with stress and a near-constant stream of worry, journaling can help you unburden yourself. In many cases, the straightforward act of putting your worries into words will calm your racing mind and enable you to relax and let go of tension.

4. Protecting Your Privacy

One other noticeable benefit of journaling is that it allows you to put your thoughts and feelings on paper, while still keeping them private. Unless you want to, you never have to share your journal with anybody else. That means you can be as honest as you need to be about the challenges you’re having from moment to moment, or even in the long term.

Think of your journal as a conversation between your current self and your past self. There is no “wrong” or “right” way to keep a journal. Just put your fingers on the keyboard – or your pen on your paper – and let the thoughts flow out of your subconscious mind.

A Proud History of Recovery Results At Complete Harmony, we combine traditional, evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy with holistic approaches like massage, meditation, acupuncture and yoga to create a highly effective, non-12-step addiction recovery program. If you’re ready to discover a fresh beginning without relying on the crutch of drugs and alcohol, contact us today.

5 Types of Journaling for Addiction Recovery

Got a pen or pencil? How about a piece of paper? With these simple tools you can take big strides in making yourself feel better during recovery. Journaling, or writing down your thoughts and emotions, has been shown to help restore your body and mind after years of addiction. And here’s the best part: You don’t even need to be a wordsmith to reap the many health benefits.

What you do need to do, however, is to

find the type of journaling that works best for you. This will depend on your recovery goals, of course, as well what best fits your personality. And you don’t have to stick with one type – you can mix and match depending on your needs at that time. Here are a few to consider:

• Stream-of-consciousness journal: This is great for purging yourself of head junk. Sit down for 15 minutes each day and write down whatever comes to mind – don’t try to edit yourself or hold back any thoughts. 
• Diary journal: Whether you’re looking to establish a schedule in early recovery or identify any triggers to prevent relapse, a daily journal can help. Jot down the day’s events – what you did, who you saw, how you felt, etc. – and use this information to identify any patterns. 
• Activity/food journal: Tracking your daily exercise and eating habits can help you identify poor choices and keep you on a healthy path. You might also want to note your sleep habits and stress levels to determine how they influence your food choices and activity levels. 
• Gratitude journal: This type of journal allows you to count your blessings and, in turn, develop a more positive outlook. Bonus: Being grateful has been linked to a slew of health benefits, including improved self-esteem, fewer toxic emotions, stronger willpower, and sounder sleep.
• Spiritual journal: Many recovering addicts tout spirituality as an aid in recovery. Finding a belief in a power beyond yourself can help you better navigate moral choices; improve anger management; discover meaning and purpose in your new sober life; and more. 

Does a Secular Approach to Healing Appeal to You?

At Complete Harmony, we understand that each client comes to us with a different view of faith and spirituality. Our programs are designed to meet the needs of those who embrace religious beliefs, and those who wish to approach recovery as a retraining of the rational mind. To learn more, call: 866-930-4673.