Journaling and Affirmations

​An important part of any recovery or change process is self-awareness and accountability. Start by keeping a daily journal of how you’re feeling – answering the following questions:
What are you feeling? Identify the emotions
Where do you feel it in your body?
What are the emotions saying about you? About who you are?
 
This is not for posterity or to give as a gift someday! It’s for an increased emotional awareness. This is for your feelings to find a voice and to give them time and recognition, which makes them important. This makes YOU important, and that’s the message we are trying to increase. Try to do this consistently every day, especially when you’re feeling. And it’s not for anyone else to see, even if it means you throw it away when you’re done.
 
Another important part of recovery is learning not to own your negative thoughts. We have lots of powers, influences, and stimuli that are always acting on us. To successfully recover and stay recovered, we need to 1) identify when we have negative thoughts and 2) reject and replace them. If we cannot do this, our shame will not go away. Journaling helps us by recognizing our thoughts more and rejecting them as not our own, but from whatever other sources they come. We don’t have these negative thoughts because they’re true or right, but because we’ve always had them! It’s time to be aware and stop accepting them and stop accepting responsibility for them. WE DO NOT have to take these negative thoughts about ourselves seriously anymore. Journaling along with other exercises in the book will help in this process.
 
For affirmations, once a day (or more) look yourself in the eye in the mirror and maintain eye contact. Do this alone. Take a deep breath, pick your head up and put your shoulders back, and state the following out loud:
 
I am a son/daughter of God
My worth is 100%
I am lovable as I am
I am responsible for my happiness
My Focus determines my feelings
 
It’s important that you make this a consistent habit. In time, you may change your affirmations, but first start with these and make it a habit. This will be awkward and hard to do at first, but that’s okay. Hang in there : )