In alcohol and drug addiction recovery it is often necessary to learn new techniques to keep control of you mind and thoughts. Techniques are also critical to changing thought process and physical habits.
How to Complete the Exercise
- Draw a circle and put a line across the middle from top to bottom and then in the middle sideways, making a cross.
- (This will give you four areas for your mind map.)
- Label each area as either physical, spiritual, mental and emotional.
- (All four aspects are necessary to balance your life.)
- When you are done, think of a subject you want to work on with your mind mapping.
- Write what you are working on in the center of the circle.
This is the topic of the four aspects of your personality.
Example: Recovery
After writing recovery in the middle of the mind mapping circle, decide on what you can do to keep area in balance of your chosen topic.
Example
- Mental: Reading
- Physical: Jogging
- Spiritual: Meditation
- Emotional: Journaling
Continue listing until you have five different balance points to each area in your mind mapping picture.
When this is complete, post the mind map somewhere you can see it at least daily, if not multiple times throughout the day. (The refrigerator, or bathroom mirror are both good places to put a mind map.)
Each day when you look at the mind map, choose one of the five balance points for each aspect and make sure you engage in or complete the activity the same day. The next day, choose another area of your mind map, and so on.
Within a short time, you should see you life begin to balance itself. (The easiest check is normally your emotional state.)
This mind mapping technique is used in some treatment, but you can use it for any area of your life.
