Secret Decoder Pen: Setting Thoughts Down Until Morning

Last night as I fell asleep I imagined my thoughts written in invisible ink, like with the secret decoder pens that we’d find in a cereal box back when Kelloggs was cool. You remember, you can’t read the message without the second decoder pen. As I let go of my thoughts, I was comforted by the thought of not decoding my thoughts until morning. I wasn’t ignoring them. I was simply choosing to put them on my nightstand until morning. That little image helped me fall asleep faster. It’s a way of visualizing that my worries will still be there in the morning, and I don’t have to fix them right now.

This act of mentally setting down the decoder pen is emotional sobriety in action. It’s discipline. It’s choosing to rest instead of reacting. It’s an inner conversation that I’m responding thoughtful to. In recovery, I’ve learned that clarity comes by honoring the pause. 

So, at night when your thoughts start forcing their way into your bed with you, imagine they are encrypted and give yourself permission to rest instead. Know that these thoughts are safe on your nightstand until you pick up the decoder pen tomorrow.

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