Self-Care Journaling: Amazing Ideas to Cultivate Self-Care
Posted by Gavin Tan on
Feeling tired, burned out, or down in the dumps lately? Some common suggestions to overcome this problem would be to exercise more, meditate, or improve your eating habits. But if these solutions are not your cup of tea, how about trying your hand at journaling?
Journaling is simply the habit of putting down your thoughts, emotions, and even aspirations to paper. In doing so, you would be ultimately embarking on a journey of self-reflection, discovery, and transformation – the perfect ingredients to cultivating self-care.
In this article, we take a look at some ideas to help you better cultivate self-care through journaling; so grab the best self-journal you can find, and let’s get started!
1. Write a gratitude list
Ever heard of the term “count your blessings”? Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that is dedicated to studying life’s positive qualities, which includes investigating what makes life worth living and meaningful. Research has since consistently and strongly associated gratitude with greater happiness. The explanation behind this relationship lies in the positive emotions that are evoked when good experiences are relished. This often makes us feel more optimistic and better about our lives in general.
Writing down reasons to be grateful has also proven to reduce instances of social comparison, jealousy, and resentment directed towards others. All in all, a gratitude list will shift attention to yourself and the positive aspects of your life.
2. Forgive yourself
Have you had those nights where you’re trying to go to sleep, but an embarrassing memory just won’t stop haunting you? As you berate yourself and silently scream into the void that is your pillow, has it ever crossed your mind that you might be too harsh on yourself?
While some of these situations may seem light hearted or humorous, more serious cases of being unable to let go can be quite toxic and even detrimental to your mental health. This is why it is important to keep in mind that being human means making mistakes and learning to forgive yourself. But forgiveness takes compassion and a whole lot of self-awareness – something that takes time and practice to be instilled. So, start by using these journal prompts to teach yourself to release your anger before beginning the process of forgiveness and healing;
- What is something you wish someone would forgive you for?
- What are some ways you can be more forgiving to yourself and others?
- When was the last time you forgave yourself?
- Do you find it easy to ask for forgiveness?
3. Express yourself
There are thousands of thoughts, reminders, impending tasks, and feelings that cross our minds daily. This can sometimes leave us feeling disorganised and overwhelmed. Cue the brain dump. This technique involves emptying out all the contents of your mind onto paper to help declutter, clear, and organise your thoughts. This can mean getting down to the nitty gritty details of something you’re truly feeling, venting out a stressor, or even simply prioritising the week’s task. Either way, you would be surprised at how easier it is to breathe and how the pressure inside of you lessens with every word you write out.
4. Create a list of favourite activities
Purchasing a journal notebook in Australia to make a list of your favourite activities is a crucial part of self-care journaling. It saves you time from thinking of options during days when you are feeling less than a hundred percent. Don’t be embarrassed to include the little things too! Whether it means busting out some moves to your favourite song, taking a nice bubble bath, or enjoying the scents of fresh flowers, be sure to list them all down. Make sure to also continually add to your list. This way, you can have a variety of options to pick from.
When working on improving your mental and emotional state, consistency is key. Having a specific time of day set aside just for journaling will make it much easier to follow through. So, what are you waiting for? Buy a journal planner in Australia and begin your self-care journey today! At Migoals, we produce the best goal-setting planners that are beautifully designed and aimed for your personal development. View our range of empowering planning tools that have helped so many improve their lives!