Journaling is a fantastic way to build your self-worth. It’s a well-established practice in therapy and psychology, and it works equally well for children and adults. Journaling can be art, writing, a collage, or a combination of whatever feels suitable for you.
There is a range of prompts to help you overcome the fear of the blank page or to help you overcome those ‘um, and I don’t know moments. This article provides a few suggestions, but the ideas will flow once you get into the swing of journaling!
- You can make it easier to break through the ‘bashful barrier’ if you find it hard to find positive things to say – you can start at the back of the journal and work forward, write in a spiral, or turn your book sideways or upside-down.
- Write your happiest memories, including photos of parties, holidays, and loved ones. You can make timelines of the best days in your life that make you feel proud of yourself, like graduation, your first job, or your first solo car trip. Work over multiple or fold-out pages, make double-spreads, and include photos.
- For example, you can use affirmations to remind yourself of your positive traits.
- I am kind
- I am good at…
- People like my…
- I’m proud I can…
- I am loved by…
- I feel good when…
- Think of three things your Inner Critic finds fault with and consciously turn them around – write down the positive in your journal. You can use your journal to visualize your goals – what do you want to achieve, feel, or do today, this week, by Christmas?
- You can also make your journal a beautiful object – go to an art store and buy your favorite colors in various media – pencils, watercolors, collage papers, stamps. Use glitter, stickers, and puff paints – you can go wild and treat your inner child. Your book about you will reflect all the colors within. Or maybe you’d prefer something more minimalist – make your journal a monochrome beauty, use lovely rich Japanese inks, textured papers, and graphite. Experiment with pens, pencils, and brushes – see how many lines you can make.
Make journaling a happy activity. Something that you enjoy working on and reading. And then, when you do have times when you’re not feeling so good about yourself, you have a tangible object to look at to defeat your Inner Critic.
Until the next article, stay safe, and keep the faith.
