Self Care Journaling Tips to Make It Work
Discover some helpful self care journaling tips that will make the activity work better for you!
I have talked about starting a self care journal on the blog before. It’s a very helpful tool in getting your ideas out of your mind and onto paper. It’s especially a great emotional self care activity.
What happens when you start the journal and then stop? You get stuck, not knowing what to write. You don’t make time for it so it sits…collecting dust. You don’t think it’s working, so you give up.
The simple fact is…there are SO many benefits to journaling that it CAN work for anyone.
You may just need to redo your thinking about writing, as well as how you go about the activity of journaling.
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Self Care Journaling Tips to Make it Work
The following are five easy things you can do to make journaling for self care work for you.
Make it a Big Deal
Obviously I don’t mean shout it to the roof tops that you are keeping a self care journal. But, you should make it an important task in your life.
Grab yourself a pretty notebook dedicated to this journal. Don’t use it for making to-do lists or writing notes to your spouse. These pages for JUST FOR YOU. Here are a couple cute ones I like available on Amazon:
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With your new notebook bought, make journaling part of your every day life! Put it as a task on your to-do list or in your daily planner. Set an alarm on your cell phone if you need a reminder.
Also, set a time each week to have a date with your journal. Reflect on the pages you’ve recently written on. Reflection is part of the process to set goals and overcome personal problems.
Make it Easy
Sometimes, the reason why a new task goes ignored is because it’s too difficult. If you make things hard on yourself, you are more likely NOT to do them. Bad idea!
When it comes to self care journaling, give yourself just 5-10 minutes each day. Pick the time of day that works best for you. A time when you aren’t distracted and when other things will come up and take your time.
Maybe before you get out of bed, or as you lay down at night. Get comfortable to free your mind and get those words out.
Keep your journal and pen somewhere handy – and make this space its home. If you write on your commute, keep your notebook in your bag. If you do it before bed, put it on the nightstand when you are done each night.
Grab Inspiration for Self Care Journaling
Writer’s block is a REAL thing. Just because you sit down with your journal doesn’t mean the words will flow. But that’s okay…
You can get inspiration to write from many sources. Take a look at our list of 75 self discovery journal prompts, for example. We also have 35 self love affirmations that may spark your creativity as you read them.
Make it Fun
There’s no right or wrong way to use your self care journal. It doesn’t have to be a boring chore either… Get creative with different colored pens or highlighters. Add stickers or Washi tape if you want.
Not in the mood to write? You can simply draw. Think about what is motivating your thoughts at the moment. Doodle if you need to. Simply write “I don’t have anything to say” if your mind is completely blank.
There are lots of fun printable pages you can add to your self care journal too. Habit trackers, coloring pages, and so on. Basically, the less you make the journal feel like a chore, the more you’ll want to do it every single day.
Make it a Habit
If you actively work toward making self care journaling a habit, the more likely you are to stick with it. Sticking with it means you’ll see the benefits!
Consistency is the name of the game here. According to Lifehack, you only need about 30 days to make a habit automatic. Make an active commitment to your self care journal for that one month so it becomes a part of your every day life.
