How to use the power of journaling to create a beautiful positive environment for you to self heal and learn to love yourself.
The power of journaling
Journaling can help your emotional wellbeing in so many ways. The types of journaling you can do also varies greatly. You can use prompts, or lists, or writing exercises or free writing. You can illustrate your journal, or your journal could be entirely made up of images. It’s totally up to you. Journaling is an entirely flexible and free concept.
So, when sitting down to write on self love healing quotes my heart is full of gratitude that we have this tool available to us. And not only that but that there has been a rise in the acceptance of addressing mental health issues in the recent years. And with those two positive factors has also come a rise in the different ways you can use to keep your mind in a healthy state For example CBT, regular exercise, therapy, coaching, which are positive steps forward in learning to understand ourselves.
Because of these factors we are in a better place to sort out those areas in our life which need healing.
Healing from trauma
Many of us need healing from past traumas. Not necessarily big traumas, traumas with a capital T, but small traumas, traumas with a little t. Dr Gabor Mate writes and teaches really well on this. Brenee Brown also writes beautifully on shame. Healing from these wounds is a sometimes painful but ultimately liberating act that you can gift yourself.
Creating a journal for self-love healing quotes can be the best thing you can do to help you recover for restorative self love. I am not saying it is up there with therapy, counselling and the trained therapists who dedicate their lives to our mental wellbeing. But I am saying that journaling is a powerful tool and we are well equipped to help heal ourselves, understand ourselves better and be more self-aware generally. If you struggle with low self-esteem, poor mental health, or negative emotions then it really is one of the most important practices you can do for yourself and the most loving too.
Making self love a daily practice
I wish I had known a long time ago that I could do fun, positive, enjoyable things like make self love a daily practice. Having spent a large part of my adult life berating myself and being really self critical the concept of self love was mind blowing. My thought was, “You mean I get to be nice to myself?”! Self-love is the best emotion we can feed ourselves, and it is a good stewardship of the only gift we have – our own life. I think I thought that life was just about telling myself (constantly) that ‘I hadn’t got it right’ or that ‘I’ve mucked up again’. A beautiful quote on this subject that resonates with me is,
“Talk to yourself like someone you love.”
Brenee Brown
But it turns out that you can think whatever thought you want. And it doesn’t have to be the negative thoughts. So I started to choose self love.
The best way to begin your own journey towards the best version of yourself is by making self-love a daily practice. If this concept is new to you then the regular practice of it will help you transition to being nice to yourself.
This is not just a concept of self-love, but it is a self-love journey that will lead you to better things and a healthy way of living. It will change the way you see yourself and the rest of your life. There are hard times in life, and bad days happen to everyone, but the power of our minds is the best guide we have to help us navigate difficulties.
Taking a deep breath and reminding ourselves of the importance of self-love can be the first step towards a better day and a better life.
Your self love journal
How to create your self love journal
Creating a journal for your self love journey is a great idea. You can journal in it every day, plus you can look back over time and see how you have grown in empathy and understanding and love for yourself. Even in difficult times, there is always a silver lining. Creating a self-love journal can help you to find it! And then you can look back on those times and know that you got through them and that you can navigate difficulties in the future, too.
Creating your self love journal: Some steps to help you get started:
- Choose your journal: Start by selecting a notebook or journal that you feel drawn to. It could be a blank notebook or a pre-designed journal with prompts and inspirational quotes. I have a pale pink zip-up suede journal that I totally fell in love with. Maybe you could find something that you fall in love with too?
- Set aside time: Set aside some dedicated time to work on your self-love journal. It could be a few minutes each day or a longer period of time once a week. Make sure to find a quiet and peaceful space where you can focus.
- Know your reason why: Consider your reasons for starting a self-love journal. What do you hope to gain from this practice? Are you looking to boost your self-esteem, work through past traumas, or simply show yourself more compassion and kindness? Or do you just want to explore? It’s a self love healing journal so whatever you decide best helps you heal and love yourself is exactly right.
- Choose prompts: To get started, you can look up self-love prompts online or come up with your own. Some ideas include writing down things you are grateful for, writing a letter to your younger self, or reflecting on your strengths and accomplishments. I have included 15 prompts further down in this post HERE.
- Be honest: It’s important to be honest with yourself when journaling. Write down your true thoughts and feelings without judgment or criticism. This is a space for you to be authentic and vulnerable.
- Celebrate progress: As you continue to write in your self-love journal, celebrate your progress and accomplishments. Reflect on how far you’ve come and acknowledge the positive changes you’ve made in your life.
Remember, creating a self-love journal is a personal journey, so feel free to customize it to your needs and preferences. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and enjoy the process of self-discovery and self-acceptance.
It can be the very thing that helps you to see that you are worthy of love, that you are an adventurous and daring person who is playing the most interesting game in the world, that of learning to know, love and accept yourself.
Practicing acts of self care
You can use your self-love journal, to write down your own needs and the simple acts of self-care that you can do for yourself. Two questions that are great to ask yourself are, “How do I feel? What do I need?” (I think I should thank Byron Katie for those two phrases)
Remind yourself of your inherent value
“Our worth is inherent, and; therefore, is never on the negotiation table. ”
J S Wolfe, The Unfolding: A Journey of Involution
You can use your self love healing journal to remind yourself of your own beauty and your own truth. You can write down the things that make you happy and the things that bring you joy. It can be a great way to process the process of healing and to learn how to deal with the wrong mental attitude.
It’s not your job to like me – it’s mine
Byron Katie
Self love affirmations
In your journal, you can use self-love affirmations to remind yourself of the importance of self-love.
Here are some to get you started, but of course you can use your own:
- I let go of any self-limiting beliefs and trust in my ability to create the life I desire.
- I am grateful for the challenges I have faced, as they have helped me grow and become stronger.
- I am open to receiving love and support from others, while also loving and supporting myself.
- I accept myself unconditionally, flaws and all, and choose to see myself through eyes of kindness and compassion.
- I am worthy of living a life filled with joy, abundance, and love, and I choose to create that reality for myself.
- I am worthy of love and respect, including my own.
- I choose to let go of self-doubt and embrace my inherent worthiness.
- My past does not define me; I am free to create a loving and fulfilling present and future.
- I honor my needs and prioritize self-care in my life.
- I release negative self-talk and replace it with positive, affirming words.
- I trust myself to make choices that honor my well-being and happiness.
- I forgive myself for any mistakes or perceived shortcomings, and I move forward with self-compassion.
- I am deserving of joy and fulfillment in all aspects of my life.
- I am whole and complete, just as I am.
- I am grateful for my unique qualities and strengths, and I celebrate them every day.
Learning to be your own best friend
One of the first secrets of self-love is to be your own best friend. You are the only person who will be with you for the rest of your life. So, it is important to learn how to love yourself and how to be kind to yourself. It is not a selfish act, but the beginning of a life-long romance with your authentic self.
So when you write, write authentically, write as if you are writing from yourself to yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be empathetic and spot where you are harsh or overtlye self critical in your journal.
Using your self love journal to address the inner critic
Creating a self-love journal can be a great way to deal with your inner critic. It is important to remember that your inner critic is not the real you. It is just a voice that tells you that you are not good enough. When you write down your thoughts in your journal, you can learn to recognize when your inner critic is speaking.
I sometimes say, “Thank you brain, but I’ve got this. I’ll take it from here.” I have been known to say this out loud. It feels great. You should give it a go!
Heal from past mistakes
One of the most common ways people use their self-love journal is to write down their past mistakes and how they can learn from them. It is important to remember that your mistakes do not define you. They are just part of your own reality. You can use your self-love journal to reflect on the lessons you have learned and how you can move forward in a positive way.
Using sticky notes in your self-love journal can be a great way to remind yourself of the tiny, random things that come to mind, but you need to make note of before you forget them. Instances that might have happened that you have long forgotten about, or someone you need to forgive, or something that you wish you hadn’t done. You may find as you go through this process that these type of thoughts come up for you. So just make a note of them on a sticky and then you won’t forget.
You can also use your journal to reflect on your life to date, acknowledge your mistakes and then agree with yourself that you have the power to change your life going forward.
Self-love is essential for our emotional and physical well-being. It allows us to accept ourselves for who we are and to appreciate our strengths and weaknesses. Learning to love ourselves is not always an easy journey, and healing from past mistakes can be uncomfortable, but it is a journey worth taking.
Self love healing quotes
Here are some inspiring self-love healing quotes from renowned authors, thinkers, and celebrities to help guide you on your journey.
- “You have to love yourself because no amount of love from others is sufficient to fill the yearning that your soul requires from you.” – Janice Trachtman
- “The foundation of all personal development is the realization that you are not your mind. You are the consciousness that recognizes and observes the mind.” – Eckhart Tolle
- “The great awareness comes slowly, piece by piece. The path of spiritual growth is a path of lifelong learning. The experience of spiritual power is basically a joyful one.” – M. Scott Peck
- “Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” – Carl Jung
- “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
- “The only way to change the world is to change the story. To change the story, you must first change the storyteller.” – Jean Shinoda Bolen
- “It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.” – W.C. Fields
- “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss
- “You are your best thing.” – Toni Morrison
- “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller
- “You’re beautiful, you’re loved, and you’re worthy of a happy and healthy life.” – Demi Lovato
- “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” – William James
- “I always wanted to be a femme fatale. Even when I was a young girl, I never really wanted to be a girl. I wanted to be a woman.” – Diane von Furstenberg
- “The thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives.” – Louise Hay
- “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “You don’t have to be perfect to be amazing.” – Meghan Markle
- “The ultimate goal of all goals is to be happy.” – Deepak Chopra
- “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” – Paulo Coelho
- “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde
- “And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” – Haruki Murakami
- “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
- “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “Self-love has very little to do with how you feel about your outer self. It’s about accepting all of yourself.” Tyra Banks
Finally here are the 15 prompts for self-love healing mentioned above:
- What are some negative beliefs or self-talk that you often engage in? How can you reframe these thoughts to be more positive and loving towards yourself?
- When was the last time you took care of yourself? What activities can you engage in that make you feel nourished and loved?
- Are there any toxic relationships in your life that are hindering your self-love journey? How can you set boundaries to protect your energy and prioritize your needs?
- What do you love about yourself? List at least 10 things you appreciate about who you are as a person.
- What are some insecurities that you struggle with? How can you work on accepting these parts of yourself with love and compassion?
- When you think about your past mistakes or failures, how do you tend to respond emotionally? How can you practice forgiving yourself and move forward with self-compassion?
- What do you want to achieve in your life? How can you celebrate your progress and accomplishments without minimizing your efforts or feeling like you’re not doing enough?
- How do you treat yourself when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Are there any self-care practices that you can implement to support yourself during these challenging times?
- Who are some people in your life who truly support and uplift you? How can you spend more time with these individuals and create a support system that nurtures your self-love journey?
- How can you practice setting healthy boundaries in all areas of your life? What does a healthy boundary look like for you?
- What are some things that you’ve been putting off or avoiding out of fear or self-doubt? How can you take action towards these goals with self-love and confidence?
- What are some affirmations or mantras that resonate with you and help you cultivate self-love? Write them down and repeat them to yourself daily.
- When was the last time you laughed or had fun without any worries or stress? How can you incorporate more joy and playfulness into your daily life?
- How can you practice self-love through your physical health? What are some ways you can nourish your body with healthy foods, exercise, and rest?
- What does self-love mean to you? How can you integrate this definition into your daily life and make self-love a priority?
I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you liked it, you may also be interested in:
Create a beautiful journal with your prayer for self love and healing
How to develop confidence using a self love journal template
How to create health journal ideas to inspire your life