How many times have you been advised to keep a journal to supplement your sobriety? With the best of intentions, how many times have you stopped keeping a journal in less than a week?
Without a journal, we repeat patterns.
Without a journal, our accomplishments lose leverage.
Without a journal, gratitude is difficult.
Without a journal, momentum is inhibited.
Before addiction, I was plagued with clinical depression. At its climax, I checked into a mental facility for suicidal ideations. The full story of my experience can be found here: https://bit.ly/3S5sev0.
My illness was a result of bottled-up turmoil.
Later, I embraced daily journaling which enabled me to become aware of thought patterns that signaled oncoming bouts of depression. Journaling equipped me with valuable knowledge that improved my mental illness.
I brought this practice forward to addiction recovery.
Journaling has enhanced my sobriety in profound ways: identification of trigger patterns, creating gratitude anchors, leveraging, and ultimately eliminating relapse.
Here’s how to get started and stay consistent:
1. Relieve the Pressure.
Drop expectations around the grandiosity of your journal.
This should be a space of nonjudgemental release and for your eyes only.
Allow your journal to be whatever it is, period.
2. Create an Objective.
Without creating pressure, think about how you want your journal to inform your sobriety;
More clarity? Relapse prevention? Momentum? Increased gratitude?
What do you hope to achieve? A "why" will ignite your motivation for writing consistently.
- Habit Stack.
The most effective way to create a daily habit is to stack it with something you already do.
For me, I have one cup of coffee daily, so after my coffee, I immediately journal. Pairing the two has instilled it into my routine.
How about after tooth brushing?
4. Use Pen and Paper.
Studies show time and again that writing with pen and paper improves brain activity and retention (https://bit.ly/45IUtmn).
Make a special trip out to choose your pen and notebook specifically for journaling.
The ceremony will amplify and solidify your new habit
5. Setting.
Choosing your journaling spot will help create a ritual for your journaling.
Train your brain to signal "When I'm sitting here, I'm journaling."
You'll be amazed by how easily words begin to flow when you set up an external cue for your nervous system.
6. Prophetic Vision.
Your first entry will be a prophetic vision of yourself six months into the future.
A helpful prompt is "Pretend you are on the phone with your future self. Now describe in minute detail how your life has evolved."
Now dream. Big.
7. Stream of Consciousness.
The best place to begin is to set a timer, put pen to paper, and start writing everything that comes to mind.
Don't lift the pen until the timer sounds.
If necessary, begin with "I don't know what to write...".
You are training the brain for the movement of thoughts.
8. Tracking.
Journaling initiates pattern tracking.
Through my tracking, I was able to identify two months (February and November) as my most heightened triggers and cravings. I realized through journal reflection that the first time I smoked meth was in February and the first time I injected was in November.
Simplify tracking with colors or numbers; "Today is green because I'm upbeat and not triggered."
9. Make Entries Actionable.
Breathe life into your journal entries by summarizing them into a daily mantra.
Read over your writing and structure the mantra with "I am _______ and today I'll prove it by ______". For instance, perhaps your entry focused on feelings of weakness around being triggered by a friend. Your mantra might be "I am strong and today I'll prove it by choosing not to expose myself to my friend."
Keep this in front of you throughout the day.
10. 30-Day Review.
Ignite effectiveness in your journal by reviewing every 30 days to anchor into your wins.
Review your chart and compare it to the previous month. When/where/who are your mental highs and/or lows and WHY? What changes can be made for the next 30 days?
Recalibrate your vision.
Creating and maintaining a journaling habit will:
Amplify your sobriety journey;
Eliminate feelings of stagnancy;
Increase your well-being;
Provide a vision for your future.
What are you waiting for???
If you have any questions or would like to share your journaling practice, please reply to this email, and let's talk! --Dallas
Check out my latest YT video, which elaborates on last week's letter:
Coming 2/24/24! I am beyond excited to get this project off the ground. AfterMeth is a LIVE podcast diving deep into the stories of loved ones connected to crystal meth addiction. The untold stories of those left in the aftermath. The objective is to create a guidebook of advice and tools for family and friends of addicts.
Responses