Planner Review: Happy Planner Recovery Collection

There are so many planner products hitting the market at this time. In the second of two posts I wrote on Decoding Planner Terms, I highlighted some of the different kinds of planners you can purchase, including specialty ones for everything from wedding-planning to homeschooling.

I recently found a few new planning products that are really unique and I had never seen before. And, they are from the Happy Planner Company.

I am not an affiliate for the Happy Planner, so I don’t get compensated for my reviews of their products. The products of theirs I have reviewed are ones I think might be helpful to others. If I ever become an affiliate, you’ll see a disclaimer.

What I am is a very satisfied Happy Planner costumer. As I noted in my post a couple of weeks ago on 16, 17, and 18-month planners, I really enjoy using their disc-bound vertical 18-month planner to plan my household, fitness, and self-care to do’s for the week.

And, the new products I have found have pretty much blown me away. Happy Planner is clearly branching out to provide products for people with different interests and life issues.

While I will review another planner in a couple of weeks, I could not wait to share my thoughts on their new Recovery collection. This collection addresses an issue that is truly close to my heart.

The Happy Planner Recovery Collection

I have worked as a research attorney for a Federal Public Defender Office for a while now. But, in the last few years, I began volunteering with our district’s drug reentry courts.

A reentry court is a type of “problem-solving court.” Reentry courts, in particular, are programs that assist individuals who are currently on some sort of court supervision (probation or post-release supervision) and struggling with some form of addiction or mental health issue.

There are several types of reentry courts, including Veterans courts (which deal with addiction and service-related mental health problems), family treatment courts (which work with the entire family, including co-dependent relatives and children), and drug courts (which focus on substance abuse treatment), just to name a few.

The courts in which I volunteer are drug reentry courts, which means that our participants are being supervised and having trouble complying with the terms of their supervision because of drug or alcohol abuse. I’m part of a team of individuals, and we come from various agencies, including: the defender’s office, the prosecutor’s office, the court (judges), the probation office, and treatment providers.

I love working with all the clients I have had the privilege to represent in my time with a public defender office. But, I believe my work in the drug court has provided some of the most satisfying experiences in my career.

People who are in recovery are some of the bravest people I have ever met. They meet with counselors, participate in group sessions, and attend 12-step meetings. The recovery process requires these folks to be honest and vulnerable in ways that most of us could never imagine, and they’re doing this because they know their very lives are on the line.

For those who are able to complete these rigorous programs (and they are demanding programs, which require folks to go to meetings several times a week, do difficult “homework” assignments, and agree to be held accountable for their setbacks) and do so fully engaged in the process, they emerge transformed.

I have seen people completely change their ways of life, their attitudes, and their relationships. The process involves hard work, and they need support, which is why our team volunteers to serve as both an accountability partner and support network.

I am so grateful for all that I have learned about addiction and recovery in the few years I have served on this team. It has enriched not only my legal practice (as I now better understand what some of my clients are going through), but my personal perspective (I understand better the plight of those struggling with addiction and have found a deep compassion for their situations).

This is why, when I saw that the Happy Planner had launched a “Recovery” collection, I immediately started to check in to them. That’s especially so, since their description of the product is a little general.

In order to really see what they were about; I knew I had to order these items. So, I did, and I was amazed and impressed by what I found.

The Recovery Collection is like a wellness planner for people who are in recovery. I will note below the many ways you can use the planner and some of the journal and accessory items, but it is clear that someone who understands 12-step recovery programs had a hand in designing this collection.

From the monthly goal-setting section to the prompts in the weekly dashboard, recovery terms are used in a gentle and encouraging way. The journal is even more geared toward those engaged in 12-step work, as is the companion pack.

Here are some of the features that are 12-step recovery-based:

• Slogans. Anyone in a 12-step recovery program will hear certain slogans, which are short, catchy phrases that help when temptation strikes or they feel themselves backsliding. The ones I recognize in the collection include, “Progress not Perfection,” “Keep it Simple,” “Acceptance is Key,” “Trust the Process,” “Easy Does It,” “Just for Today,” and others.
• Inventories. Part of the 12-step recovery process is to eventually get to the point where you can identify and list out things such as poor coping mechanisms, self-destructive behaviors, and ways that you may have hurt others. Those in recovery learn to continue making such lists even after they are done with their initial inventories, and they continue to do things like make amends. The planner and the journal both have guided sections that encourage keeping track of ways that we have been engaging in negative behaviors and ask whether we need to fix something or make an apology.
• Service. Another aspect of 12-step work is to focus on being of service as a way of drawing yourself out of negative, self-destructive behaviors. Both the planner and the guided journal prompt questions about helping others and engaging in service. Some of the encouragement prompts also include, “Smile at Someone,” and “Give Someone a Compliment.”
• Gratitude. Most of the folks we work with in our drug court are encouraged by their substance abuse counselors to focus on gratitude. As I have written in prior posts, gratitude helps us to shift the focus from what’s going wrong in our lives to what is going well. This is particularly helpful for individuals who use substances to cope with life’s difficulties. Each weekly dashboard and daily guided journaling page include sections to list out or journal about gratitude.
• Feelings and Self-Care. Some of the focus in a treatment program is on feeling your feelings and taking care of yourself. While you will find these sorts of prompts and sections in many wellness planners, I was impressed that the Recovery planner, guided journal, and accessories have ways to track mood and encourage self-care routines such as “Get a Massage,” “Buy Yourself Some Flowers,” “Call a Friend,” and “Meet up with a Family Member.”

To find this in a planner is just amazing. I only have two wishes about these products:

1. That they would stock the shelves with more next year. These are incredible products that, as you’ll see below, can be used for more than just 12-step recovery programs. By the time I heard about them, they were sold out on the Happy Planner website. I was lucky to find them on Joann’s Fabrics and Crafts online store, but they sold out almost immediately after that, and they are out of stock in my local stores. I recommend checking your local craft stores (Happy Planner sells products at Joann’s, Michael’s and Hobby Lobby). I would have loved to purchase a few more just to have for future drug court participants.
2. That they would have a version for men or a unisex option. I know the Happy Planner pretty much sells planners that are all meant for women, but I believe this is one type of planner they could make more unisex to include men. Don’t get me wrong, the planner is gorgeous! I love the design, and being someone who likes pastels, the colors are fine for me. But, when I told some of my drug reentry court teammates about the products, they were hoping they could purchase some for the program until I described the products. Most of our participants are men, so I don’t think these would work for them.

Other than that, I love these planners. They knocked it out of the park and need to make more. I would even recommend making the entire planner undated so that someone who enters recovery could pick one up and start in whatever month they have decided to begin their recovery process.

(As of the time this post was written, I could only find the Recovery Planner on Michael’s online store and the Accessories pack at Joann’s. The Recovery Guided Journal appears to be sold out online and I cannot find a store that has it in stock on the shelves).

Happy Planner Recovery Edition Review

This new Happy Planner is a pretty unique planner with its own “recovery” layout. Here’s a closer look at all the features in this new planning tool.

Happy Planner Recovery Edition Features

• Time span– This is a dated planner that spans from January to December 2021.
• Size– This is a classic-sized planner and measures 7 X 9.25 inches, or 17.78 X 23.495 cm.
• Binding– Like most of their planners, this is a disc-bound book with rose gold plastic discs. Because there are only 12 months of monthly and weekly layouts, there’s plenty of room to add additional pages to this planner without making it too bulky. The disc binding also makes it easy to remove and add pages, even switching them from the planner to the guided journal and vice versa.
• Layout– This is basically a weekly planner that also has monthly layouts. The weekly pages are similar to the Happy Planner dashboard layout, with a dashboard page on the left-hand side and a weekly planning page- with all 7 days having an equal amount of planning space- on the right-hand side.
• Cover– Like all of their disc-bound planners, this one has a laminated cover. The front cover has rose gold foiling details, including on the words, “Progress Not Perfection.”

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• Typical Planner Features– Like all disc-bound Happy Planners, the Recovery Edition has-
  • Nameplate Page– as the first page in the planner. This planner also explains it is the Recovery Edition.
  • 2021 and 2022 Yearly Overviews–  so you can see all the months laid out for both this year and the next.
  • Year at a Glance Pages– Each month has its own column with each day of the month in the rows. This is great for long-term planning.
  • Monthly Layouts– The monthly calendar pages are pretty simple. They don’t have any recovery-themed phrases or decoration, but have the month itself with a lined notes side bar on the left and the weekend days shaded in the color of the month’s theme. It can be used for any type of planning. Like most planners geared toward an American audience, it has a Sunday start.
  • Decorated Monthly Tab Dividers– The dividers are made of sturdy cardstock and have tabs listing the month. Each divider has a different recovery-themed design, and some have rose-gold or silver foil decorative elements.

• • Alternating Colors– As with many Happy Planners, there is a color scheme for the Recovery Edition. The months rotate between pastel green, lavender, and pink. The colors appear on the monthly spreads and the weekly dashboard and planning pages.
  • Notes Page– There is a single notes page at the end of the planner.

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• Special Features– Because this is a specialty planner, it has features that you may not find anywhere else, or at least not in the layouts presented here.
  • Monthly Goals Page– While many Happy Planners with monthly calendar pages have some sort of dashboard for goals and notes before the next month’s layout, the Recovery Edition has a unique setup for this page. “Goals for the Month” is listed at the top of the page, which is a dot-grid design. The remainder of the page has the goals in horizontal rows with the type of goal listed in small print on the left-hand side. The suggested goals are: “Be Active,” “Rest,” “Nourish,” “Forgive,” “Gratitude,” “Acknowledge,” and “Action.” Because of how small these are, it would be very easy to change these to any other goals you need to focus on.
  • Weekly Dashboard Page– This is a very recovery-themed dashboard and has several elements:
    • At the top of each dashboard page is the same encouraging phrase: “Pick yourself back up- you’ve got this!”
    • Below this to the left is a fillable statement, “To Be ____ This Week, I Am Going to Do . . .,” which prompts a habit tracker section for three daily habits.
    • To the right of that is the suggestion for the month, which alternates with the monthly color between calling a friend/family member, practicing self-love, and practicing kindness.
    • Beneath that section, to the left is a To Do list with 6 lines and circular check-boxes.
    • Beneath the To Do list is a section for notes titled, “Jot It Down.”
    • To the right, there is a “Weekly Check-In” section with pastel-colored rows prompting the writer to think about what is on her mind, owning up to negative behaviors, asking if there’s a need to make amends, listing out any wins for the week, and seeing if there’s a way to be of service.
  • Weekly Planning Page Layout– Because this is a dashboard layout planner, there are 8 sections on the right-hand page: one for each day of the week, and another with a place for daily gratitude. Each day’s section is lined and has a small mood-tracking sidebar on the left with the words “Today I Feel” and 4 circles for faces- one is happy, one is neutral, the third is sad, and the final one is blank, so you can draw your feelings. The remainder of the box is a lined notes section, which would work well for a short journal entry about your day.

Again, I am so impressed with the thought and attention put into every detail of this beautiful planner. I highly recommend it for anyone who is going through some form of recovery, and it would make a lovely gift.

The Recovery Progress Classic Guided Journal

This Journal can be used in combination with the Recovery Edition Happy Planner or on its own. It shares a lot of the same features as the Recovery planner but does not have monthly or weekly sections. Instead, it is meant to be more of a daily journal.

Features of the Guided Recovery Journal:

• Size– Like the Recovery Planner, this is a classic-sized journal, which measures 7 X 9.25 inches, or 17.78 X 23.495 cm.
• Cover– Also like the Recovery Planner, the journal has a sturdy laminated cover. The front cover has rose gold foiling details, and is the same design as the Recovery Planner’s January divider, which has a quote by Confucius: “It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.”
• Binding– This is a disc-bound journal. The discs are a plastic and pastel pink. The pages don’t move as smoothly through this type of disc as they do through the rose gold ones on the planner, but the binding is secure and the pages do turn.
• Dividers– There are 4 dividers that have designs from the Recovery Planner, including the cover design. Each divider separates 4 weeks’ worth of check-in and daily journaling pages, so the entire book will last 4 months, if you write in it daily.

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• Weekly Pages– There are 4 weekly pages per divided section. They are similar but not the same as the weekly dashboard pages in the Recovery Planner.
  • Undated. Unlike the Recovery Planner, the weekly spreads and pages in the Guided Journal are undated, so you do not have to work in it every day.
  • “To Be” section. Like the Recovery Planner dashboard page, there is a section that indicates a personal goal and the three daily habits listed to reach the goal.
  • “Looking Forward To.” Instead of a circle containing a suggested practice, it prompts the writer to note “What am I looking forward to this week?”
  • Weekly Check-In. Instead of the 5 rows taking up just half of the page, the weekly check-in section has rows that run the entire width of the page, leaving more room for journaling about those 5 same areas listed in the Recovery Planner dashboard page.
  • Nurturing Recovery. At the bottom of the weekly page, there is a section with a box-grid which asks, “How will I nurture my recovery this week?” Since it is in a grid format, it seems you could get creative with this and go beyond just writing out your intentions.
• Daily Pages. After each weekly page are 7 daily pages. Here are what they contain:
  • Design. Each page has a small, light-pink, dot grid design on the first three quarters of the page with a lined section in the bottom quarter.
  • Date. Again, since it’s an undated journal, there is space to write in the date.
  • Mood Tracker. A larger version of the mood tracker from the Recovery Planner is listed in the daily page.
  • Journaling Prompts. There are five sections that prompt journaling about: something that brought joy, what was done for recovery, the day’s highlight, and the day’s low moment, along with a lined, daily gratitude section.
  • Recovery Phrases. Scattered throughout the daily pages are the occasional recovery phrase such as “No one is ever too lost to be saved,” “Keep it Simple,” “Acceptance is the Key,” and other encouraging phrases that are found throughout the Recovery Planner.
• Notes Pages. At the end of each weekly section, there are additional notes pages with the phrase “Progress Not Perfection” at the top.

This journal is a beautiful disc-bound notebook with great prompts and trackers. I love that it is undated, as that allows the user to take some time off of using it and come back to it without having to alter dates. I hope that the Happy Planner company sees how quickly these have sold out, pretty much everywhere, including their own website, and manufacture more. They would be a great tool to anyone in recovery.

Recovery Progress Classic Planner Companion

The final product in the Happy Planner Recovery Collection is the accessory pack. Happy planner often creates accessory packs for its products. As I mentioned in a prior post, I recently purchased the Stargazer pack for my classic vertical and loved all the accessories that came with it.

The Recovery Companion has some amazing products that truly compliment both the Recovery Planner and Guided Journal. I will say that some of these products are much more focused on a 12-step recovery program than even the Planner and Guided Journal.

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What the accessory pack contains:

• Intention Bracelet. The first thing you see when you look at the accessory pack is a separately packaged bracelet, which is made of a turquoise blue thread. Hanging from it is a gold charm in the shape of a circle with a heart stamped in the center. The packaging explains that the bracelet is a reminder “to keep going.” I’ve gotta say, I got pretty misty looking at this one. What an incredibly thoughtful addition to this meaningful collection.
• Dry Erase Dashboard Insert. The word dashboard is used a lot in the planner community. While I’ve been referring to the “dashboard layout” in the Recovery Planner, a dashboard can also be a special divider or insert for your planner. This one is entirely made of plastic and intended to have dry erase markers on it. The first side says, “30 Days of Gratitude,” and has lined columns numbered 1-30. The other side has a month-in-review section with prompts for the month’s highlights and what worked that month in blank boxes. The last section has a lined checklist for how the person “showed kindness.” Because the dashboard has a tab at the top with the word “Gratitude,” which is visible above the planner or journal pages, it would make a great bookmark.
• 2 Vision Boards. Vision boarding is used in all types of recovery work and personal growth programs. Each board is as thick as a divider. The first has one of the images from Recovery Planner dividers on the front side. On the back, it has a lined section on the right, which appears after the words “Miracles Do Happen.” The other has a dot grid pattern with the words, “Serenity, Gratitude, and Progress” on the bottom. On the back of that board is a mostly blank page with a watercolor design and the words, “I am Grateful For” at the top and “Progress Not Perfection” at the bottom. If you didn’t want to use these as vision boards, they would also work as additional dashboards. They could also work as dividers, if you added your own tabs to them (see a suggested product below).
• 10 Goals/Journaling Pages. Just like the monthly goals pages, these pages have the 7 goals in rows on dot-grid paper on one side of the page. On the other side is a pastel-colored, lined page with the word “Journal” at the top. Since the dot-grid page is mostly free space for writing, you could certainly use that front page for journaling as well as the back.
• 20 Lined Notes Pages. These pages match the last page of the Recovery Planner, which is the only notes page in the planner. There is a purple design along the spine of the page and the words, “Keep it Simple” on the bottom right corner of the front page.
• 10 Daily Half Sheets. The half sheets in this set have a massive list of words describing feelings, with the phrase “Today I Feel” at the top of the page. The back of the sheet has two lined sections, with the first for the day’s highlights and the other for “How I Overcame Today’s Low Moment.”

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• 139 Recovery Stickers. Most themed Happy Planners have a corresponding sticker book with more than 400 stickers, depending on the size of the planner. Sadly, there is no recovery sticker book to go with this amazing planner. Although I believe the Happy Planner Wellness sticker book would go really well with this set (similar theme and the colors mostly match- see below), the stickers in this companion pack are amazing and well-worth the purchase. That said, they are the most 12-step-themed of all the products in this collection. There are several larger stickers with recovery phrases and images that match those found in the Recovery Planner. Other stickers include 18 “Call Sponsor” stickers, 16 “Celebrate Recovery” stickers, and an entire page of stickers that track months and years of sobriety.
• Storage Folder. All of these items come inside of a beautiful, glossy cardstock folder that can be used to hold these items or would be useful when attending support group meetings (to bring home written materials).

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This companion pack has so many great items that help to round out the planner and journal in this collection. And, it is currently in stock at both Joann’s and the Happy Planner online store.

9 Ways to Use the Recovery Collection Outside of 12-Step Programs

So, I’ve talked a lot about 12-step programs when reviewing this planner. As I noted, the accessory pack has a number of items that are really geared toward those types of recovery programs.

However, I think the Happy Planner company gave it a vague description because they didn’t want to discourage folks from using it if they are not in a 12-step program. That was wise of them, because I think you don’t need to be in a 12-step program to put this planner to good use!

First, from what I’ve learned about recovery programs, they have universal themes of wellness and spirituality that can benefit anyone going through any rough patch in life. Second, for many of us, being of service, accepting what we cannot change, and striving for honesty is a positive way to live our lives.

Ways to use this planner outside of a 12-step program:

Mental Health. For many people, the struggles that come with mental health setbacks or a mental illness diagnosis can present a daily challenge. There are so many individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, bipolar, or other disorders who need to manage these conditions. Having a planner that focuses on remaining positive, keeping busy with good works, and monitoring feelings can aid in treatment. Use the monthly section to keep up with therapy or support group appointments. You an also use it to track the meds you’re taking and how they make you feel. The weekly layout has areas that can help you focus on the positive while the lined sections are great for a little journaling about feelings. I am currently in therapy to deal with stress, so I plan to put these products to use in my own therapeutic treatment planning and journaling.

Trauma. Similar to those with mental health issues, victims of trauma also struggle with staying positive. This collection would be a great tool in reminding a trauma survivor to keep moving forward while focusing on gratitude and service. If in treatment for trauma, this would help keep up with and reflect on the therapy sessions to see how you’re feeling.

Codependency. People can become codependent from living with an addict or alcoholic, caring for a sick relative, or from having parents who were either over or under protective. Codependency can leave the person depressed, resentful, and feeling like their lives are just as out of control as the people they find themselves caring for. There are 12-step programs for codependents, however, even if someone suffering from codependency is not in a support group, they can use the tools in this collection to help them start thinking more positively about life.

Anger Management. Although this phrase has been used in the movies to joke about seemingly-ridiculous characters, there are folks who are struggling with reigning in their anger. This collection, with its reminders about acceptance, keeping it simple, and self-care, would be useful to anyone currently in an anger-management treatment program.

Eating Disorders. These can be as damaging, if not more so, than an addiction to a substance, since food is a part of our daily lives and these disorders can have such a harsh effect on the body. The Recovery Collection could be very helpful for anyone suffering from an eating disorder as there’s room for exploring feelings and managing therapy appointments.

Grief. Whether it is the death of a loved one, a marriage, or some other serious loss, the Happy Planner Recovery collection can help. Exploring and tracking daily feelings and moods can help determine whether a person is working through this grief or may need help from a friend or therapist.

Wellness and Self-Care. When I first started looking through the Recovery Planner and Journal, I felt that the monthly goals and weekly layouts are really geared toward wellness and self-care, as are the encouraging words and suggestions throughout all of these products. Moreover, the sections on making apologies and being of service help to restore some balance and make sure the focus isn’t just on “me.” Those sections are actually a sort of spiritual self-care.

Physical Conditions and Illnesses. Whether you are managing chronic pain or a serious medical condition, this planner can help add an element of positive thinking to the situation. Between the habit trackers, goal-planning, and weekly check-in prompts, there is plenty of space to deal with the feelings surrounding an illness and a focus on maintaining a positive attitude (which may help to improve pain and suffering).

Anti-Racism Work. After all the work I’ve been doing these past few months, reading anti-racism books (halfway through the list I compiled) and exploring my own history and feelings, I believe this collection could be a useful tool in doing this work. The weekly check-in, in particular, is geared toward this kind of work as it prompts you to analyze what is in your head, where you may have done something selfish or hurtful, how you can make amends, and how you can be of service. All of those concepts can be translated to anti-racism work.

Additional Accessories for the Recovery Collection

After looking at all of these products, I found there were a few outside accessories I would recommend to maximize their use. Here are just a few:

Frixion Pens. Because they are erasable, you don’t have to feel like you are wedded to the mood you chose in the mood tracker or the feeling you circled on the half-page. In fact, those half-pages might last longer if you use your Frixion pens and just carefully erase the feelings from one day to the next. The extra fine point pens are particularly good at writing in small spaces. (#Ad)

Thin Dry Erase Pens. If you are getting the Recovery Companion Pack, you will need a dry-erase marker for the dry erase gratitude insert. In order to write on it within the lines provided, a thin marker will be helpful. (#Ad)

Wet-Erase Pens. The covers on the planner and guided journal are laminated. With the inside of the covers a blank-slate, you can easily use them to write out a recovery mission statement, favorite slogans, the 12-steps, or other helpful reminders. A wet-erase marker will stay on the cover longer and wipes off easily with a moistened cloth. (#Ad)

Tab Punches. I really like the idea of a vision board, but the ones in the Recovery Companion Pack are so pretty, I would be afraid of covering them up with magazine clippings. Instead, I would convert them into dividers for the extra journaling and notes pages that come in the companion pack, and adding tabs will make it easy to convert them in this way. This paper punch makes perfect tabs, and you can use any paper you like to match the vision boards in the set. (#Ad)

Sticker Book. Finally, here is the Happy Planner Wellness Sticker Book, which I think would work well with this collection, given all the self-care prompts.

I said it before, and I’ll say it again. The Recovery Collection by the Happy Planner is an inspired set of tools for anyone who is going through a difficult phase in life and is working their way out if it. I truly teared up as I looked at all of these carefully-crafted items. I think it would be an incredibly helpful way to work a program, recover from a stressful time in life, or deal with mental or physical health conditions.

What are your thoughts on this collection? Can you think of other uses for it? Leave a comment below!

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