If You Had Just One Year to Heal

This simple exercise is designed to help you identify the actions you could take to
quickly change your life by healing your Childhood PTSD symptoms. It starts with a
brainstorm, and ends with a list that you can keep to guide you through the next year
of your life. You don’t have to act on everything. Just write your answer in the spaces
below. You can use all the extra pages you need, because this exercise is just for you
(no one else will see it unless you share it).

1. First, ask yourself if trauma from your childhood is affecting you today. Describe
the problems you experience in a few sentences:

2. If you never healed, how might that hurt your future (happiness, relationships,
finances, career, health)?

3. Now imagine a future (a year from now, five years from now or more) where
your Childhood PTSD symptoms are almost totally HEALED. What would
change in your life because of this?

© 2023 | Anna Runkle | The Crappy Childhood Fairy. All Rights Reserved. Last Edited: September 23, 2023
 4. On a scale of one to ten, how much do you DESIRE healing this year? _____

5. On a scale of one to ten, how much do you believe healing is possible for you?
____

6. When you try to imagine yourself healed, are there any discouraging thoughts
that pop into your mind? (For example, “Healing is impossible,” or “This is a
waste of time,” or “Even if I healed, the world is a cruel place.”) Write at least
three of YOUR negative thoughts here:

Remember, these are just your negative thoughts, and Childhood PTSD tends to make
them appear more important than they really are. For the brainstorm on the next page,
just try to set them aside.

© 2023 | Anna Runkle | The Crappy Childhood Fairy. All Rights Reserved. Last Edited: September 23, 2023
BRAINSTORM!

In any order, list ACTIONS you would take, hypothetically, if you had JUST ONE YEAR
TO HEAL. You already know most of the answers. Where you need more information
(for example, you want to know more about the science of trauma) your action item can
be FIND a book that’s recommended by someone you respect. Reading it can be
another item. Remember, this is a brainstorm. It doesn’t have to be realistic or
achievable. Just write it down! You’ll refine your list on the next page.

Anna’s List (just for reference)

1. Learn the science of CPTSD and Childhood PTSD.

2. Learn to notice dysregulation and heal it, by committing to the Daily Practice
daily.
3. Get out of unhealthy / dead-end / unhappy relationships.
4. Practice being comfortable in solitude.
5. Stop spending money on unnecessary things I’d hoped would “fix” me.
6. Exercise vigorously, daily.
7. Stop negative behaviors like gossip, black and white thinking, sad thinking and
sad music.
8. Be a better friend.
9. Be the best worker I can be.
10. Learn to date in a healthy way.

NOW REFINE YOUR LIST, in the order of priority:

© 2023 | Anna Runkle | The Crappy Childhood Fairy. All Rights Reserved. Last Edited: September 23, 2023
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

FINALLY: What is the ONE most important action you can take today to move forward
toward your goal of healing?

Childhood PTSD can be healed! Learn more at https://crappychildhoodfairy.com

© 2023 | Anna Runkle | The Crappy Childhood Fairy. All Rights Reserved. Last Edited: September 23, 2023