12 Living in the Here and Now and Visioning a Future

Living in the Here and Now and Visioning a Future

Journaling is therapeutic. It allows us space to express hopes, dreams, aspirations and fears. Some of what we want to capture are about thinking processes and real life events. When you encounter uncomfortable emotions, what is your response to them? In the process of developing this workbook, we have each continued to journal, create and as a result, grow. We know we have to pause this process for now. We hope that this book will bring you a new and growing skill – the joy of journaling. Of course we could not close without reminding you to be kind to yourself. Recovery is a process and lots of hard work. Here are some thoughts to consider:

You are capable of working hard

You are a work in progress

Healing is a process with lots of ups, downs, and in-between spaces

It is in the in-between spaces that we meet friends, have family come alongside, and come to trust health care professionals.

“Situations that provoke anxiety make me self-conscious of my behaviour. I feel like others are watching me. ……….”

Who am I?

Who do I want to be?

I ask you to reflect on the person you want to be. I would focus on things you are capable of changing or more importantly, things that within your locus or sense of control. These may be things such as: “I want to become a more calm, relaxed and reflective individual”. “I want to take part in interests that have nothing to do with the way I look”.

 

 

 

 

Lastly, sketch who are you becoming

When you look at where you are and where you want to be, do they seem to be moving towards one another? Or are you moving in a direction that you know is unhealthy? This requires reflection in order to understand our goals, aspirations, hopes and fears. It is only when we have captured our own truth, that we can see a way forward.

Sewing quietly….

How do I feel in this moment?

Please, don’t feel as though the journey ends with the process of reflection. It is a challenge to live and cope with an eating disorder but not impossible. Take one day, one moment, at a time and remember that when in doubt, turn to your trusted therapist or friend to help you to process your emotion.

The Journal begins with experiencing the memories you have, processing emotion and linking it to specific behaviors, but it doesn’t end there. It initiates the process of healing but you need to consistently challenge your thinking and process your emotions. Is the behaviour helping or hindering my ability to process emotions? Am I stuck in a loop? How do I benefit emotionally from this recurrent behavior and why does it tend to reoccur?

“I have cycled between wellness and illness many times in my life, but patterns tend to resurface or reoccur over time. The difference is that I can process the behavior, link it to an emotion and then decide if it benefits my health. If I believe the behaviour is unhealthy, I am less likely to spiral into unhealthy pattern of behaviors, that serve no purpose other than to bury the memories or emotions I cannot manage on my own. I haven’t learned to manage these emotions and associated behaviors overnight, it has taken a lifetime to acknowledge, process and manage. I will always have a tendency to to criticize my weight, to count calories on occasion, or hold off a meal until I am famished; but I am aware of these behaviors and have to consciously make an effort to analyze my motivations and desires and ensure my emotions are being serviced and not ignored.” Hannah