Journaling

In eating disorder recovery, you might discover that you have difficulty identifying and expressing your emotions. Perhaps you stuff your feelings because they make you uncomfortable or you simply have never learned what to do with them. But as you find ways to identify and express your emotions, this can help you in your eating disorder recovery.

You may have grown up in a home where you didn't feel it was safe to express your feelings or perhaps you met people later in life who gave the impression that you should not show your emotions with them. Maybe others have been angry or critical toward you regarding the expression of your feelings. Your parents may have been so uncomfortable with emotions themselves that they never learned healthy ways to express them so they were never able to model this for you. It may be that they were okay with emotions, but for some reason you still got the impression that you should keep your feelings to yourself.

Write what is on your mind and in your heart. While in eating disorder recovery, you can write poems, stories, lists, letters to others, letters to the eating disorder, prayers, song lyrics or whatever else comes to mind. Copy meaningful quotes or verses into your journal. Record your thoughts, whether positive or troubling, and your emotions, whether uplifting or depressing. There are no rules to journaling, so you don't have to worry about doing it right.

Maybe you have never written in a journal and feel hesitant to try it. If so, please read further. Let me encourage you to at least give it a try. It may not be for everyone, but how will you know if it is for you or not if you don't attempt it?

Have you ever considered your life a journey? To describe it in this way has become cliché. But there is nothing cliché about you! Because God created you in His image and loved you so much that He gave His only Son Jesus to die for your sins, each of you is a precious, unique creation of God. He treasures you beyond imagining, and He has given your life infinite worth.

My personal motto is "a life worth living is worth recording." Is my life worthy because of who I am? No. But because God loves me, my life has great significance. My life is so valuable to God that one of the most important things I can do is to journal my journey with Him.

What is a Journal?
A journal is simply a place where you write down your thoughts, important ideas or events that you want to remember.

A Spiritual Journal is where you record the important spiritual truths you learn each day and do not want to forget. A Spiritual Journal is not a record of your daily activities, it is a record of what you believe God is teaching you.

Journaling helps you to dream, try out different ideas, to get things down on paper for further consideration. It is a place where you can express all of your thoughts and emotions without fear. Writing is a means of cleansing the soul, unburdening yourself and stepping into new freedom of spirit. You will find that it is a valuable tool that will become an essential part of your recovery.

Suggested Software
Journals

This is a template to help you with your daily journaling to keep you accountable to yourself, God and others.