Continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
We are moving into the maintenance steps! You’ve done the hard work to rid yourself of burdens and now you’re just looking to maintain this new freedom. There are no rules for how you might conduct this regular inventory, but there are some suggestions!
Reflecting
Although it’s easy to ignore, thinking about your interactions with others keeps you on your toes. If you just had lunch with a friend, was there something you disagreed on? Something you feel you didn’t pay enough attention to? Did you forget to ask about a family member you know is on her mind? Call or text right away so that nothing gets overlooked.
Journaling
Absolutely the cheapest, easiest and best tool in your mental health toolbox is a journal and pen. You can buy the cheapest notebook or the fanciest journal – whatever motivates you! But just getting thoughts out of your head and onto paper helps with processing. When you do this, it’s easy to see what things are weighing on you, what you’re feeling good about and what makes you a little uneasy. Are you feeling some guilt and shame over something you said or did?
As an inventory tool, using your journal at the end of the day and going over your activities can bring awareness to time you feel you’ve wasted, activities that distracted you from finishing work, as well as things you wish you had time for. You can reflect not just on your interactions with others, but on how you are showing up for yourself each day.
Templates
You can find a number of personal inventory templates on-line. If there is a particular relationship or issue that you feel you need to work on, these templates can be particularly helpful. A quick Google search will point you in the right direction – don’t forget to search images, too!
Counseling
If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, I would encourage you to talk with your counselor about this idea of doing a daily or weekly personal inventory. An inventory is not meant to point out all the things you are doing wrong – you also should be reflecting on the things you accomplished, changed for the better, or improved! Doing this on a daily basis can help you change your mindset around anxiety. You are also unloading your worries before you go to bed and start ruminating.
Coaching!
Of course! A coach holds you accountable for doing these inventories and gives you a safe space to talk about the things you’ve uncovered. If you have set a goal, these daily inventories help you keep working towards that goal or make changes to the action steps that might not be working.
Maintenance
Again, this is a daily or weekly practice so that you can make immediate amends and so that you can work on the changes you want to make in your life. It shouldn’t take hours of time and should eventually become an automatic habit.
