Last Updated on August 30, 2024
If you told me 5 years ago that writing in a journal would be a part of my routine, I would have called you a liar. Journaling for many people is just another self-care chore you know you should do but don’t feel like.
This was me before I found these journal prompts for self love! I’ve been journaling consistently for the last year now. Here’s my process for recentering myself when life gets crazy.
Table of Contents
What is Self Love?
Self love is the practice of truly accepting and celebrating yourself as you are, not what you want be. A person may practice self love by writing and repeating affirmations and mantras to themselves. They may engage in self care activities like going to therapy or devoting a day to pampering themselves.
Practicing self love is just a form of self care, so it ultimately depends on the person in question to decide how they should be cared for. Using journal prompts for self love is just one tool that you can use in your “self care toolbox”.
What It Definitely Isn’t…
Self love is not selfishness or putting yourself above everyone else in your life. Though you should always be a priority, it’s up to you to balance a give and take in all your relationships.
As they say at the start of a flight, “Put your oxygen mask on first before helping others.”
It also isn’t encouraging your unhealthy behaviors for other people, or lacking accountability. If you have habits that harm you (or may harm others), you should not continue those habits and call it “self love”. In that case, the habits would be closer to self indulgence…which is fine, assuming that no one is getting hurt.
Overall, it’s up to you to be honest with yourself when you define these terms. Lying to yourself or lacking accountability is a breeding ground for a lot of toxic behaviors and mental setbacks.
These behaviors will ultimately sabotage any progress you may find on your self love journey.
What Are Journal Prompts?
Journal prompts are questions or statements that should spark meaningful and deep thought for your journal entry. Of course, you could always wing it and go through what you’re feeling in the moment or detail how your day went. I still do this often!
Prompts are just an additional tool to help you dig deeper and potentially uncover a part of yourself, the reasons behind why you do things, or even feelings that you’ve suppressed or forgotten.
By periodically incorporating prompts into your journaling routine, you can ensure that no (mental) stone is left unturned and get a clearer snapshot of your mental health at that time.
Journaling Best Practices
Here are some best practices you could try to make the most our of your journaling session. The goal here is to create a reflective and focused space so that you can really devote your attention to these journal prompts for self love. In doing this, you’ll recenter yourself and create a space where you can be fully mindful.
Find A Quiet Space
This won’t work if you don’t think deeply about your answers. Find a quiet place to really reflect on the prompts below. Delve deep into areas that may be worth working on.
Don’t be afraid to set the mood, too! Maybe you have a heavy topic that you want to tackle in your journaling session. Put on some calm and reflective music, to get in the zone. Alternatively, you can play some happy pop music to offset any negative feelings that might creep up.
If you need a free resource for this, Calm has some awesome guided mediations for any mood you may be in.
Set A Timer
Really take the time to think through your past, present, and future. This isn’t a process that can be rushed. I usually do between 10 to 20 minutes worth of journaling a day.
That being said, it’s probably not a good idea to overdo it either! Sometimes reflecting can be a painful experience. By overcommitting and doing too much, you run the risk of associating the experience with discomfort, making it harder to do next time.
So, set a time for a manageable amount of time in your mind.
I personally love the app Tiimo, designed with ADHD brains in mind. The timer is a very large, visual representation of how much time I have, and a reminder to not rush the process.
Be Honest
No one knows you better than you. It’s your responsibility to be completely, 100% honest when you are journaling. If not, you likely won’t see any beneficial results and this will be a waste of time.
Also, remember that no one will read your journal (at least, they definitely shouldn’t be). Lower the stakes by using sloppy handwriting, leaving misspelled words, and being totally honest in each prompt.
The worst thing that can happen is you learn something new about yourself. That’s not so bad, right?
Journal Prompts (for Self Love)
Without further ado, here are 20 journal prompts for those looking to cultivate some more self-love and positivity in their lives.
- If you could describe your true essence in one sentence, what would it be?
- When do you feel the most you? What are you doing in those moments?
- What aspects of yourself do you hide from the world?
- Are there any roles you play that feel inauthentic? Why do you think you maintain them?
- How does your body work for you every day? Can you show gratitude for it?
- What are you most proud of about yourself, but don’t speak on or show often?
- What would you do today if you weren’t restricted by any judgements or expectations?
- What are your most cherished values?
- What parts of yourself have you rediscovered lately?
- What talents are skills do you have that you haven’t fully explored?
- What are your most important core values?
- Name 5 reasons why you can do it (whatever “it” may be!)
- What are some personal challenges you’ve overcome and what did they teach you?
- What does ‘success’ mean to you? Does this definition help or hurt your worldview?
- What do you need to say “no” to in order to live your truth?
- What do you need to say “yes” to in order to live your truth?
- What are some boundaries you could set to protect your time and energy?
- Describe a situation where you acted completely in alignment with your values. How did it make you feel?
- What responsibilities do you wish you could delegate or let go of?
- How can you be more present in your daily life?
In Summary
Remember, journaling isn’t a magic wand that will instantly fix all your problems. Small, baby steps can accumulate and turn into massive positive impact over time. So be patient!
I hope these journal prompts for self love resonated with you or sparked an idea for a future journal entry. As always, comment down below if you found this helpful. Do you use journal prompts to maximize your mental health check-ins and journaling sessions?
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To thy own self be true! Happy Writing.
