Journaling for Self-Worth

Dear Self,

Let’s talk about journaling.

Depressed Journal-ers

If you are a depressed journal-er, journaling tends to get real dark, real quick. It becomes quite an unpleasant process when every sentence is more depressing than the last. We write about everything that sucks in our life and every emotion we do not want to feel. Everything is depressing. If this is you, I have some journaling hacks to lighten the pages.

Perfectionist Journal-ers

If you are a perfectionist journal-er, you probably do not want to start journaling. We need the perfect journal with the perfect pages. We need the perfect pens and highlighters. We need to check TikTok and Pinterest to see all the people who are journaling perfectly. Then we need to make sure we are in the perfect room that is perfectly clean. We also need to be in the perfect mood for journaling. And it is best to have therapeutic candlelight. So naturally, we never actually start journaling. In rare cases when we make it past these hurdles, journaling does not last because the perfect pen smears the perfect page and perfect Patricia from Pinterest is doing it better than us. Sound familiar? I have some hacks for you too.

Here are some journaling prompts I have assembled to promote healthy self-worth. When we are not sure where to start, what to write, or the writing gets depressing, we can try pulling out a prompt.

1.      How can I love myself more?

2.      List 5 physical features you like about yourself.

3.      Describe your dream life. What are small steps you can take now to get there?

4.      How can you improve your mindset to love yourself more?

5.      What is your biggest struggle with loving yourself more?

6.      What have you done that makes you proud?

7.      What bad habits and mindsets do you need to quit?

8.      What stands in the way of your happiness?

9.      What are you good at?

10.  List 3 of your strongest personality traits

11.  What are you grateful for?

12.  What do you need to forgive yourself for?

13.  What do you love most about your life?

14.  What are 10 things that make you the happiest?

15.  Are you seeking approval from someone? How can you be happy if you never got their approval?

16.  What is the best compliment you have ever received?

17.  What are your passions? What do you really care about?

18.  Where do you feel most safe and loved?

19.  What do you do to relax? How often do you do it?

20.  List 10 things you wish someone told you every sing day……. Then tell yourself those things every single day.

21.  Name a fear you would like to overcome. List what you can do to start overcoming it.

22.  What do you think about when you let your mind wander?

23.  Write all the things you love about your style. How does your style make you feel?

24.  What do you want to say to the world if you could speak up?

25.  Write a list of loving acts you can do for yourself on a regular basis.

26.  Describe one thing that would make your life 100% better. Why would it make it better?

27.  What situations trigger anxiety and what can you do to make them more comfortable?

28.  Is there anybody negatively affecting your mental health? If so, why?

29.  What is something you want to change or improve to feel better about yourself?

30.  When do you feel like your best self?

Now, for my dear perfectionistic friends. If answering a prompt is still too overwhelming, we can start with a brain dump. A brain dump is a blank piece of paper with brain dump written at the top. You list all the things on your mind- what you are thinking about, worried about, the running to-do list- it all goes on this piece of paper (if you are anything like me, it was 3 pieces of paper). You stop when your mind goes blank. You can keep them in a notebook, or you can throw the paper away right after you do it. Take a minute to notice how it feels for the pen to hit the paper and for the thoughts to be seen.

xoxo,

Self