The session ends, and there are six days until the next one. You want to use them well. You are tempted to buy three books and start a morning routine.
It is a short list, and it is meant to be.
01
What to do
Catch the pattern when it runs, and write down what happened.
Log it. What to Track and What to Ignore says what is worth writing down.
Do what the practitioner asked, if they asked for something. If it doesn't suit you, tell them, and don't quietly skip it.
Bring what you noticed to the next session. Each session's notes go into the brief for the next one.
02
What not to do
Don't add a program. More material between sessions is usually more to keep up with.
Don't grade the week. A week in which the pattern ran four times and you caught two of them was a useful week.
Don't work on it every waking hour. Ordinary life is where the pattern shows up, so ordinary life is the practice.
03
Who this suits
People who want something small to do on the days something happens.
04
Who it may not suit
If writing things down makes you watch yourself to a degree that feels unhealthy, say so. The practitioner can adjust what they ask.
05
If something comes up between sessions
Something difficult may surface on a Tuesday when your session is on Friday.
If it can wait, note it and bring it.
If it is about the fit or the direction, say so to the practitioner. How to Know If It's the Wrong Fit may help.
If it can't wait, it is not a between-sessions matter. Licensed mental-health care is the right door.If tonight is an emergency, call or text 988 (US). This library is not that door.
How to tell whether any of it is helping is on How to Know If It's Working.