Objectives
- Know how to give yourself Support via 3 journal templates
- Know our top 3 support groups for PCOS, Diabetes, Fertility
- How to make a contract with a friend.
3 types of support groups
Self Support
Friend or Family Member Support
Social Media Peer Group Support
(+ you can talk to us if you want to. If need be we can arrange group chats via Google meets or Zoom but we aren’t GP’s so can’t give any specific advice.)
Self Support Via Journalling
Standard Daily Template
Habits (Do at least 3 of these)
- [ ] Weigh In
- [ ] Check blood pressure (T 129/79)
- [ ] Read
- [ ] Journal
- [ ] Meditate
- [ ] 10 min Mobility drill
- [ ] Fast
- [ ] Exercise
- [ ] Drink 1litre water
- [ ] Drink 1litre water
- [ ] Drink 1 litre water
Yesterday
What did I do yesterday that was memorable or in line with WCJT?
Wisdom –
Courage –
Justice –
Temperance –
3 Amazing Things That Happened yesterday
- [ ] –
- [ ] –
- [ ] –
How could I have made yesterday better?
Today
I am grateful for:
What would make today great?
- [ ] –
- [ ] –
- [ ] –
Daily Affirmation
I am ..
CBT Journal template
1. What are you going to journal about today?
2. The C – Consequence: What was your emotional or behavioural response to the situation?
3. The A – Activating Event: How did the situation elicit this emotional or behavioural response?
4. The B – Belief: What did you think about the activating event and its emotional or behavioural consequence?
5. Do these beliefs accommodate all possibilities, or are your thoughts rigid and unyielding?
6. What could be a reason to doubt the thoughts and beliefs you identified?
7. Are there better alternatives to the thoughts and beliefs you experienced in the moment?
1. What are you going to journal about today?
Choose the event, episode, idea, or emotion you want to journal about. Cognitive journaling is designed to help you cope with strong negative emotions, so focus on a situation that elicited this kind of emotional response.
2. The C – Consequence: What was your emotional or behavioral response to the situation?
Outline the consequences of the situation, following the form of “I felt/experienced [emotion]” or “I [action verb] [behavior].” Focus on facts rather than opinion, and make sure every statement is falsifiable, nonjudgmental, and detailed.
3. The A – Activating Event: How did the situation elicit this emotional or behavioral response?
Detail the nature of the activating event you experienced, using the form “This [event] happened” or “The situation was [event] and it happened [place and time].” Keep those same three principles of falsifiability, nonjudgment, and detail in mind, and focus on verifiable facts rather than opinions or examinations of someone’s general character.
4. The B – Belief: What did you think about the activating event and its emotional or behavioral consequence?
Write down what you thought in response to the activating event, as well as your beliefs about the emotions and behaviors this event elicited from you. Remember to focus on thoughts rather than emotions, examining the things you believed, or still believe, following the event. Write in the form “After that, I thought [belief]” or “At that moment, I thought [belief].
5. Do these beliefs accommodate all possibilities, or are your thoughts rigid and unyielding?
Challenge and interrogate the beliefs and thoughts you have identified. Do you have proof that this thought is correct? Are these beliefs positive or harmful? Consider different possibilities and examine whether your beliefs and thoughts hold up in each circumstance.
6. What could be a reason to doubt the thoughts and beliefs you identified?
Once you’ve found thoughts and beliefs that don’t hold up to sound logic or demonstrable fact, it’s time to weaken them further by applying doubt. This is a useful approach in reframing your cognitive responses to the emotions and behaviors triggered by the event.
7. Are there better alternatives to the thoughts and beliefs you experienced in the moment?
The groundwork is now in place to reframe your cognitive responses, so try outlining some alternative replacement beliefs to ‘try on for size’. Put each replacement belief to the test – are they aligned with reality, flexible enough to accommodate all possibilities, based on logic, and conducive to you reaching your goals? You’ll probably need to come up with a number of different alternatives until you find thoughts and beliefs that tick all of these boxes.
Energy Template
1. Physical Energy: On a scale of 1-4 what has been your past week physical energy level?
1 = mostly drained; 2 = more empty than full; 3 = more full than empty; 4 = fully energized
2. Emotional Energy: On a scale of 1-4 what has been your past week emotional energy level?
1 = mainly negative thoughts/feelings/mood; 2 = more negative than positive; 3 = more positive than negative; 4 = mainly positive
3. Mental Energy: On a scale of 1-4 what has been your past week mental energy level?
1 = fully scattered; 2 = more scattered than focused; 3 = more focused than scattered; 4 = fully focused
4. Spiritual Energy: On a scale of 1-4 what has been your past week spiritual energy level?
1 = totally uncommitted/unengaged; 2 = more uncommitted than commited; 3 = more commited than uncommitted; 4 = totally commited/engaged
5. Current energy level: What is the sum of your four different types of energy?
Add all the four scores together. Expand to see explanations.
12-16: You are fully energized and ready to conquer everything that comes your way.
9-11: You are averagly energized. To increase performance you need to manage your energy levels better.
4-8: You are poorly energized which significantly undermines your ability to fully utilize your skills and talents. Over time this can have an effect on you health, happiness, productivity and lead to a burnout.
6. What specific actions could you take to increase each one of your energy level scores by 1 point?
Also think about where your energy leaks and how can you plug those leaks? Expand to get some ideas.
Contract With A Friend
Social Media Based Peer Groups
r/PCOS reddit group is great (but does promote 40:1 which the research doesn’t stack up on for women with PCOS or for fertility applications.)
