5 Ways Journalling Can Help in Early Sobriety

Gosh, I loved journalling as a kid. Every thought, every emotion (and I admit, every bit of teenage angst!) became so much clearer to me as I unleashed it all onto the page.

But somewhere along the way, life got busy. I stopped the practice of reconnecting with myself through writing. I believed I’d outgrown it, or it didn’t matter anymore, or it was ‘baby stuff’.

It was only in early sobriety, when I felt like my entire world was ending, that I began to recognise the value in it once again. As I took a deep breath and picked up the pen again for the first time, I felt a deep, familiar sense of clarity and connection. It felt like coming home.

Journalling in early sobriety helped me to reconnect with my body, explore subconscious beliefs, and recognise my not-so-crash-hot patterns of behaviour. It helped me to better understand my emotions and make sense of the monumental changes that were happening inside and all around me.

In other words, I discovered that journalling is an exceptionally effective tool to support sobriety and keep us on track. Throughout my journey, this simple process has helped me a myriad of ways. It truly has the power to deliver deep, life-changing breakthroughs if you let it, so don’t hold back!

Need more convincing? Here are five powerful ways journalling can help:

1. Increases Self-Awareness and Supports Communication

Journalling allows you to explore your deepest thoughts, feelings, and explore long-held beliefs. Exploring it all on the page can help you become more aware of your biggest triggers, recognise frequent patterns, and spot signs of self-sabotage – so you can break them, for good!

Journalling not only helps you to communicate with yourself – it can also help you to communicate with others about your journey and experiences with sobriety. It provides the perfect place to write out some scripts and role-play, practicing what to say to people, especially in situations where you’re nervous about other people’s reactions. Here’s to expressing your needs and feelings more effectively!

2. Encourages Reflection and Provides an Outlet for Emotions

Writing can be an incredibly cathartic experience and provide a safe space to process and express emotions. Getting it all out of your head and onto the page can help to reduce stress and anxiety: two potential triggers that can cause intense cravings for a quick fix (in the form of a drink!).

Journalling also allows you to reflect on your journey every step of the way, and gain deep insights into your thoughts and behaviours. This very process can help you make positive changes and learn from past mistakes, as well as get crystal clear on your biggest values and driving beliefs. It can also strengthen your connection to your intuition: that soft, wise voice within that always wants what’s best for you.

3. Promotes Accountability and Helps Set Goals

Journalling can help you track your progress and hold yourself accountable for your actions and decisions related to sobriety. It’s a game-changing tool for self-coaching and spurring yourself on. Think of it like your own personal coach and cheerleader rolled into one!

Writing down your goals for sobriety can also help you clarify what you want to achieve, and create a plan to get there. And not just that! Journalling can help you create a whole new set of scrumptious goals for your life (now that you won’t have hangovers holding you back)!

4. Strengthens Coping Skills and Helps Manage Cravings

Journalling can help you develop healthy coping strategies to deal with difficult emotions or situations without resorting to the bottle. Each time you write down a strategy that works for you, you strengthen your ability to weather all of life’s ups and downs. This is a masterful skill that will serve you for the rest of your life!

Writing about your cravings, in particular, can help you identify triggers as they arise and develop savvy strategies to cope with them. Better yet, it can help you recognise what it is you’re truly craving: whether that’s affection, connection or a little more fun (because it’s rarely the alcohol itself we crave – it’s usually because we want to feel a certain way!).

5. Improves Self-Esteem and Provides a Collection of Evidence

Writing about your achievements and progress can boost your self-esteem and reinforce your commitment to sobriety. Keeping a journal provides you with a tangible record of your progress – a hand-written witness to every step of your glorious growth and evolution.

This log of evidence can serve as a source of incredible inspiration during challenging times and remind you that you’re capable of so much more than you ever believed possible. Why, hello, unshakeable confidence!

So many of our brave-hearted Sexy Sobriety Members report that even the process of reading back through your journal pages can blow your mind with how much we grow and change in such a short amount of time in sobriety. Baby steps, quantum leaps.

But don’t just take my word for it. Try it for yourself!

A fun, easy way to get started is by journalling all the things you’re grateful for, or your happiest moment from each day (helping you to look for the silver linings even on the stormiest of days!). Or check out these 2 epic journal prompts for early sobriety.

Ready to go deeper?

RSVP Sober: Your Guided Journal for Socialising Alcohol-Free, is the ultimate companion for brave-hearted souls who want to have more fun socialising sober. This beautifully crafted 180+ page journal offers a refreshing, positive perspective on sober life, empowering you to embrace a new way of socialising that is both fun and fulfilling (it’s totally possible, I promise!).

Whether you’re in recovery, sober-curious, or simply looking for a new way to approach socialising, get ready to rip up the dance floor without the hangovers, regrets, or embarrassment (hurray!). Through engaging prompts, inspiring quotes, and thought-provoking exercises, RSVP Sober encourages you to dig deep and discover your unique strengths, passions, and purpose, empowering you to live your best social life.