How often have you read here about how important it is to practice self-care and have tools while on your journey of recovery and healing? It would be helpful to have it in one place. I'll update it as I think of more, so keep checking back!

Have you ever been ready to take a big step forward and suddenly, you freeze? That fear of the unknown can feel overwhelming. You might think, “I’m just not going to do it today.” Guess what? I’ve been there too. Fear can be crippling. So, what do we do with fear? There are two ways we can respond to fear: 

“Forget Everything and Run”, or “Face Everything and Rise.”

Which one will you choose?

Hopefully, you chose “Face Everything and Rise” so you learn about the powerful techniques: playing the script ‘til the end and the stop sign technique. I’m going to use a common example, but these techniques can be applied to just about anything you’re feeling fearful or anxious about.

I’m a doer when it comes to learning and absorbing. Even in school, I absorbed new things by writing them down. It’s probably why I’m also a visual person, it helps my brain put things together. After I got my ACC in life coaching, I continued to get certified in cognitive behavioral coaching and that’s where I learned about putting our thoughts on trial. It’s another great tool to add to our recovery toolkit. This exercise makes you stop and think and pull out the puzzle pieces of your thoughts or even situations and examine them, then challenge them.

If you’re struggling or not quite sure where to begin on your journey of healing or supporting your loved one, reflecting on your reasons to make this positive change is a great place to begin. Writing down those reasons can serve as a helpful reminder when we’re feeling unmotivated or stuck.

A Recovery/Healing Mission Statement (R.H.M.S) and a W.H.Y Statement are great tools to keep you moving forward. An R.H.M.S. is a vision you see of yourself and the destination that your recovery and healing will lead you to. It should be a few sentences long and something you read to yourself daily.