STRATEGY 4: Start a Flip Journal™.
[page 5 of the Obsessive Focus article]
The idea for this exercise was born in a session with a client struggling with obsessive thoughts following her husband’s affair. The spiral bound notebook I was using for session notes prompted a new idea. I suggested she process work at challenging her thoughts in a more intentional way by flipping her journal.
Since then, many clients have given testimony regarding the benefit of using the Flip Journal™ technique. (At the time I write this, I am in the process of developing a version of the Flip Journal™ that will offer daily direction in “flipping” a person’s thought patterns. See flipjournal.com for more information.)
To practice basic flip journaling, follow these steps:
What you end up with is two perspectives in the same journal. Eventually, they’ll meet somewhere in the middle of the notebook. As you start, you may have much more to write in the first part. In fact, your writings in the positive side may start out being only a few sentences long, but don’t stop. Keep doing this for at least 30 days. Like others who have tried this, you may find that the daily entries in the negative side diminish in length while the positive comments begin to expand.
[page 5 of the Obsessive Focus article]
The idea for this exercise was born in a session with a client struggling with obsessive thoughts following her husband’s affair. The spiral bound notebook I was using for session notes prompted a new idea. I suggested she process work at challenging her thoughts in a more intentional way by flipping her journal.
Since then, many clients have given testimony regarding the benefit of using the Flip Journal™ technique. (At the time I write this, I am in the process of developing a version of the Flip Journal™ that will offer daily direction in “flipping” a person’s thought patterns. See flipjournal.com for more information.)
To practice basic flip journaling, follow these steps:
- Buy a spiral bound notebook with pages that are lined on both sides.
- At least once a day (or every time you feel overwhelmed with negative thoughts), open the “front” of the journal, turn to the first available empty page, date it, and then write out the full expression of whatever you are thinking and feeling. This is the “Recognize” phase described in the previous strategy.
- When finished, close the journal and flip it over so that the back cover is now being used as the new front cover. This simple behavior represents the “Reject” and “Refocus” phases of the previous strategy.
- Turn to the next available page, date it, and write out the thoughts or beliefs that are in contrast to what you just finished writing. Focus on what is true, rational, and hopeful. Whether or not you fully believe these things, write them anyway. This action is consistent with the “Replace” phase in the previous strategy.
What you end up with is two perspectives in the same journal. Eventually, they’ll meet somewhere in the middle of the notebook. As you start, you may have much more to write in the first part. In fact, your writings in the positive side may start out being only a few sentences long, but don’t stop. Keep doing this for at least 30 days. Like others who have tried this, you may find that the daily entries in the negative side diminish in length while the positive comments begin to expand.
Obsessive Focus: Article Contents
- Understanding the Problem
- Relief#1: Take 3 steps toward controlling your affair conversation.
- Relief#2: Turn cages into clouds.
- Relief#3: Redirect negative thoughts.
- Relief#4: Start a Flip Journal™.
- Relief#5: Create a Sleep Story.
- Relief#6: Release your grip on the past.
- Relief#7: Increase your support.
- Relief#8: Seek help from an EMDR counselor.
- One Final Word
Copyright ©2009-2022, Tim Tedder, LMHC, NCC & contributing authors. Content on this site cannot be used or reproduced without permission. AffairHealing.com is a resource of Currents Services, LLC.