As the clock strikes midnight, the New Year is upon us, filled with endless possibilities for change and adding new things to make you a better version of yourself. Everyone hurries to figure out what they want to work on for the next year. However, rushing through setting out your goals for the year can have an adverse effect. You must carefully craft the steps you want to take to reach your goals or risk discouragement and a lack of specificity. This is where hope through journaling comes in.

How Can Journaling Give Me Hope in Recovery?

Journaling has the power to help you heal from things that you don’t speak aloud. Writing your thoughts and feelings down is beneficial and can give you hope in recovery. Just think, sometimes you may have so many things to say that you cannot articulate your feelings verbally. When it is just you, a fresh piece of paper, and a pen, you can take your time to explore your internal world without fear of judgment.

You can read back through your entries and reflect on far you have come through your journey. A journal can be utilized as a personal sounding board. By journaling, you can come to understand your thoughts about relationships, events, and things that give you motivation in recovery. You can weed out mental clutter and feel your feelings with a journal. Journaling helps to get to the root of issues so that you can be honest with yourself.

How Can Journaling Benefit Me?

Journaling is an empowering tool for recovery. You can express thoughts and feelings with no judgment from another. Everything you write is yours. Journaling is unpacking your bags without others seeing what is in your luggage. The only way anyone else knows is if you permit them to open your book—literally or metaphorically. 

There are many benefits to journaling. Some of the benefits include:

• Decreased anxiety: Research indicates that documenting your thoughts and feelings can reduce anxiety
• Reduces Stress: An overabundance of stress can damage your physical, mental, and emotional wellness, but journaling helps the mind to unwind and decrease stress.
• Boosts your mood: Journaling can increase your happiness and give you an overall sense of emotional self-awareness.
• Promotes inner peace: Journaling allows you to connect with yourself on an intimate level in a space of deep connection that creates peace within yourself.
• Provides a healthy way to focus on goals: You can work on any goal and stay focused during the process.

Picking the Right Tools

Journalling requires some physical and mental tools. The physical tools include the journal and something to write with, plus stickers or other items you might want to use to spruce it up. The mental tools include the kind of journalling you want, as there are many to choose from.

First, pick a journal that speaks to you. They come in all shapes and sizes. You can order one from the internet or go to a store and choose one that works. Your journal should be inspiring, making you want to use it.

There are many ways to journal. However, that does not mean that they will all work for you. Just show up and be ready to write at least one thing. There are different approaches, and you can decide which is right.

• Reflection journaling is the most common type of journaling. You reflect on the events throughout your day and process them by writing them down. This type of journaling is helpful in the exploration of yourself.
• Gratitude journaling is thinking about the people, things, and happenings you feel grateful for throughout the day. You can be as detailed or minimal as you prefer.
• Art journaling is a fun and creative way to express your thoughts and feelings through creativity. This is your expression and can be whatever you want it to be.
• Bullet journaling is for the organization-lover. You put your thoughts and feelings into simple bullet points, which can create an organized feel of journaling.

How Do I Get Started?

Choose what method of journaling feels best to you. Find a quiet space to be with your thoughts and feelings. Acknowledge them on paper and continue to write until you are content. There is no pressure to correct your spelling or ensure your margins are even. It becomes about the relationship between the pen and paper.

You can write before you go to sleep or as soon as you wake up. Think of a place of hope that inspires you to be a better person and start there. You have come so far on this journey and inspire those around you. Be mindful that this is the start of a beautiful space of connection to yourself.

Another idea is to start by writing someone a thank-you card. Expressing your gratitude to someone is a form of self-care. Extending gratitude is beneficial for the person receiving the card and the giver.

Practicing Self-Care Through Journaling

Practicing self-care can never hurt, no matter where you are in your recovery. Research tells us that self-care is doing things that help you to live well and improve both physical and mental health. For example, journaling increases happiness, reduces daily stress, and explores your thoughts and feelings. 

Journaling will add hope for a new and brighter day no matter where you are in your recovery journey. It is as if you will have your therapist at the tip of your fingers.

Life can get in the way of practicing self-care. At times, you may struggle with finding hope in your journey. Journaling can bring back the motivation and hope you need to embrace this new year with excitement. There are many benefits to writing your thoughts on paper. Reflecting on how far you have come in this journey boosts self-esteem and confidence. Sometimes, it may feel like the fight is too hard, but you have come this far. All you need to do is remember to put one foot in front of the other. At Laguna Shores Recovery, we understand your fight and can provide all the support you need. Give us a call at 954-688-5806 today.