238. Journalling and the Art of Self-Coaching
Most men have 'tried' journalling.
A notebook bought with good intentions, three intense entries, then… a book left to gather dust.
In episode 238 of The Alcohol ReThink Podcast, Patrick Fox explores why journalling often feels uncomfortable and why that discomfort might be showing up.
Patrick shares his own journey with writing. In the beginning, his journal was basically a written version of his inner critic. Pages filled with self-judgement, frustration and 'what’s wrong with me?' energy.
A jam-packed pity party on lined paper. No wonder it felt unpleasant.
What changed?
He realised a powerful distinction: you are not your thoughts. And writing something down does not make it true.
This episode dives into how journalling can shift from self-criticism to self-coaching. Instead of reinforcing negative beliefs, Patrick explains how to question them, challenge them and gently reshape them using bridge or ladder thoughts that actually feel believable.
He also introduces a brilliant analogy from The Magic of Believing, a book written over 75 years ago and recently referenced by Tony Robbins in an interview.
The idea? Thoughts are like stones thrown into water. The bigger the stone, the stronger the ripples. Anxious thoughts often carry huge emotional energy. But with practice, you can strengthen new thoughts until their ripples begin to override the old ones.
This isn’t about forced affirmations or pretending everything’s fine.
It’s about training your mind.
If you’re ReThinking alcohol, struggling with discipline, or tired of the mental back-and-forth in your own head, this episode will show you how a simple notebook can become one of the most powerful tools in your change process.
As ever, take what works and leave the rest.
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