At Bookends of Recovery, you'll find blog posts, podcasts, and free worksheets and workbooks that dive into real-life recovery topics. I talk about things like how to deal with triggers when your brain wants to lie to you, what emotional sobriety actually looks like, how to stop spiraling, how to set boundaries, and…most importantly how to laugh again.

You’ll also find reflection exercises and practical tools to help you stop white-knuckling it and start building a recovery that fits your real life, not someone else’s idea of it. No labels, no “my way is the only way,” no toxic false positivity, and definitely no shame.

 Emotions are like layers of an onion. Some are simple and raw, while others are complex, nuanced, and shaped by life experience. Understanding these levels can help us identify what we’re feeling and why, which is especially useful in recovery, healing, relationships, and personal growth.

Although my dad was great at talking with me, there were a lot of things that just weren’t discussed. I was never taught how to process my emotions properly, let alone name them. If that resonates with you, you’re not alone. Here’s a quick overview of emotions that can help you on your journey to recovery and healing.

Ah, communication. That magical word that’s supposed to fix everything. Yet, somehow, it’s the very thing that makes us want to tear our hair out when we’re arguing about who left the wet towel on the floor… again. Add recovery from addiction into the mix, and suddenly that wet towel represents everything wrong in the universe. Good times, right?

This bonus workbook complements Tuesday’s post on how to manage triggers when you’re feeling angry. It has easy-to-use exercise and optional deeper dive exercises for those that want to take a look at self-doubt and obstacles.

Anger is one of those emotions that can hit like a freight train. It can barrel towards you fast and overwhelmingly. For those in addiction recovery—and for the people who love them—anger can be more than just a bad mood. It can be a trigger, a dangerous pull toward old coping mechanisms that promise relief but come with a cost.

What do you do when anger flares up? How do you keep it from dragging you down a path you’ve worked so hard to leave behind? That’s what we’re talking about today: real, practical ways to manage anger and its triggers, whether you're in recovery or supporting someone who is.

This may be a hard pill to swallow…no one can make us feel anything.

Ever had someone ignore your kindness when you held the door open for them, and suddenly, your blood pressure is through the roof? Or maybe your boss gave you that “Are you serious?” look during a meeting, and you spent the rest of the day convinced you’re one typo away from unemployment.

We’ve all been there, convinced that other people’s actions made us mad, sad, or just plain bananas. But, and This may be a hard pill to swallow…no one can make us feel anything. Not even that jerk who didn’t say, “Thank you.” (Yeah, I know. I don’t like it either.)

Let’s be real: boundaries can feel as fun to set as putting together the breadbox I got from Amazon yesterday—no instructions, random pieces, and the possibility of becoming frustrated on the floor. But if you’re navigating recovery from addiction and healing, boundaries aren’t just helpful—they’re essential. Think of them as your GPS, steering you away from the potholes and speedbumps and toward a healthier, happier life that calms the chaos we sometimes feel in our brains.

Today, in another installment of my series on triggers, I focus on one of my topics: boundaries! You’ll rock at boundary-setting by using these tips and the attached worksheet. (Here are the first , second and third posts).

Sometimes, our feelings need a timeout.

Recovery is like a rollercoaster—it has its ups and downs and unexpected twists that can leave you feeling dizzy. But one thing that can help you stay grounded is doing an emotional check-in.

It’s super easy to forget how you're actually feeling until your emotions are like adding Mentos to a bottle of Coke; they explode. That’s where an emotional check-in comes in—it’s like hitting “pause” on life to see what’s really going on inside without judgment (and without throwing your hands up and screaming at the sky).

Think of it as a quick pit stop for your feelings, designed to keep you on track in your recovery journey. Here’s a simple guide to get you started.