Being a mom is one of the most rewarding and selfless things you can do. Your life goes from all about you, doing what you want when you want, to be all about your kids and family responsibilities. For most of us, It can be a complete lifestyle change. You need to start journaling, and these self-care journal ideas we will share will inspire you.
This is a guest post by Lindsay Marie! Take it away, Lindsay!
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Mom Guilt?
The hardest part for most mamas is the time and energy to practice self-care. Maybe you feel mom guilt because there are so many other things that need to be taken care of then taking care of yourself.
Start a Self-Care Journal
That’s why a self-care journal is one of the most beneficial ways to practice taking care of yourself. It requires only a couple minutes a day and isn’t specific to only a particular time of day, which is so perfect when you have kids at home.
You can write in your journal ANYTIME!
When I first heard of journaling as a form of self-care, I was a little skeptical. My thinking of self-care was the physical stuff you do for yourself, like taking a hot bath or getting your nails done to relax.
I had no idea self-care existed beyond that, so the thought of journaling for self-care was nowhere near the top of my list of things I should make a priority, especially since most of my time goes towards taking care of a little human.
I did a little research!
What is Self-Care?
First, let’s look back at what self-care is.
Self-care, in a nutshell, is the act of taking care of yourself so you can continue to improve your health and wellbeing.
When you think of it like that, it makes perfect sense that journaling is a form of self-care. It helps you work on yourself on a deeper level than just the physical stuff.
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How is journaling a form of self-care?
Anything you do for yourself is a form of self-care, and you are journaling for yourself, right?
Journaling has many benefits, but the biggest one being, it can help you maintain or even prevent depression and anxiety. According to Very Well Mind, 300 million people suffer from depression around the world and even more than that suffer from anxiety.
So how does journaling prevent this?
Journaling helps you work through your emotions, wants, desires, insecurities, and anything and everything that is on your mind. What stresses most people out is how we tend to bottle up our emotions. Maybe not on purpose, perhaps there just isn’t enough time in the day to think about yourself. After all, we have babies and toddlers, depending on us for their every need.
More benefits of journaling
- Helps you work out what you are feeling
- Enables you to learn more about yourself
- Enables you to take a more in-depth look at the people around you
- Enables you to calm your thoughts
- Helps you heal
- Helps you sleep better
- Helps you reach your goals
How to know if journaling is right for you
If you are someone who has a lot to say but doesn’t know how to say it. Journaling will help you work through all of your emotions so you can better understand them. By doing this, it will allow you to learn how you handle certain things and helps you find better ways to deal with your emotions because bottling them up isn’t healthy and only creates unneeded stress.
Journaling is also an excellent way to work out your life goals. It can help you think about the short term and long term goals. Did you know if you write your goals down on paper, you are more likely to accomplish them? You can start by taking 15 minutes and write down what you want out of life than your next journaling session you can begin to think about what you need to do to get you closer to your goals.
Red tulips, coffee cup and notebook over white wood table. Flat lay composition
How to start a self-care journal
Beginning a self-care journal is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is get a pen, paper, and a cozy, quiet spot to write. You can buy all kinds of different journals, but a good ole fashion notebook does the same thing.
It’s common for beginners to have a hard time finding something to write about (isn’t that surprising since there’s often an endless list of things on your mind at any given time?). So I’ve come up with a list of self-care journal ideas and prompts below that will help you work through what you are feeling.
When is the best time to write?
That depends on you! It could be in the morning when you first get up or when you are trying to unwind before bed, or it could be while the kids are napping halfway through the day. It’s whenever you have the time and will benefit from it the most.
Just make sure it’s during a time when you can devote a couple of quiet minutes towards it.
Can I write about anything?
Writing about anything is the best part, you can write about anything, and it is still beneficial for you. Because if you are thinking about it, then it is affecting you in some way, positively or negatively.
101 Self-Care Journal Idea Prompts
- My favorite thing about today was?
- What made me smile today?
- What is the most hurtful thing someone has said to you?
- I wish my life were?
- A motto I want to live by is?
- If I could change one thing about my life right now, it would be?
- The best thing I ever did for myself was?
- I want to do this with my kids more often?
- Something you wish other people knew about you.
- What is your favorite memory?
- What type of movies do you like to watch and why?
- What is one thing you want to tell your partner right now, and why?
- What is your dream job?
- What is your five-year goal?
- What do you want to accomplish by the time you retire?
- What have you learned from your biggest mistake?
- What question have you been asking yourself recently?
- How have I been practicing self-care this week?
- Who is the most influential person to you and why?
- Make a list of everything you want to say no to.
- Make a list of everything you want to say yes to.
- What made you happy today?
- What made you sad today?
- What does your dream life look like?
- Who is your best friend and why?
- What is your dream job and why?
- What do you want your kids to be when they grow up and why?
- If you could make amends with someone, who would that be and why?
- What do you love most about your body and why?
- Describe how you want people to remember you.
- If you could pick three words that describe you, what would they be and why?
- What inspires you?
- What is one thing you want to work on about yourself?
- What is your favorite memory?
- If you could go anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?
- Describe your perfect wedding day.
- What makes you a good friend?
- What makes you feel powerful?
- What advice would you give your teenage self?
- What are you afraid of?
- If you could be doing anything right now, what would you be doing?
- What is your favorite meal and why?
- What do you want your kids to know about you?
- If you could tell your kids anything right now, what would you say?
- What do you need more of in your life?
- How can I show myself more love?
- When you wake up in the morning, how do you feel and how do you want to feel?
- What do you want to have accomplished by the end of the year?
- When do you feel most confident?
- Do you feel like there is enough time in the day and why?
- If you could change one thing to make your life easier, what would that be?
- What is the worst dream you can remember having?
- What is the best dream you can remember having?
- What are you most thankful for?
- What is a hobby you want to start and why?
- What is causing you the most stress right now?
- Who is one person you can’t imagine life without?
- Make a list of people in your life who are supportive of you.
- What does unconditional love look like to you?
- What act of kindness have you done recently?
- What has made you cry this week?
- Write about your first love.
- Is your life turning out how you thought it would and why?
- What was your first thought when you have seen your babies for the first time?
- What is the scariest thing you’ve been through?
- If you could start a foundation for something close to your heart, what would that be and why?
- If you could change one thing about your house, what would that be and why?
- When you are busy, how can you find 15 minutes for yourself?
- What is on your to-do list today?
- What is one positive change you can make in your life today?
- What is one thing you wish your partner would do more of?
- What is a habit you have wanted to do but haven’t and why?
- When you close your eyes right now, what do you see?
- What are you worried about right now?
- What is your biggest secret?
- A list of places you want to visit in your lifetime.
- What is your favorite movie and why?
- A list of things you are most proud of.
- A list of random acts of kindness you want to do in your lifetime.
- If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
- The biggest life you’ve ever told and why you told it.
- What is the craziest thing you’ve done?
- A time when you were most disappointed and why you were so disappointed by it.
- Find any random photo on your phone and talk about that memory.
- 5 things you can’t live without.
- Who your celebrity crush is and what you love about them.
- Your biggest pet peeve.
- 5 qualities you love about your partner.
- If you could be on any reality show, what would it be and why?
- How you deal with anger and how you could better deal with anger.
- Write about someone you want to forgive and why you want to forgive them.
- What is your favorite holiday and why?
- If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
- If you could go back to the past and change one thing, what would it be?
- What is your favorite childhood memory?
- What is your saddest childhood memory?
- When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up and why?
- What was your favorite show as a kid and why?
- Did you do anything this week that helped you get closer to your short or long term goals?
- Write a letter to your past self.
- If you had 3 wishes to be granted, what would they be and why?
Conclusion: Self-Care Journal Ideas
Journaling is such a great and powerful way to discover who you truly are. It’s a great way to channel your personal needs, wants, desires, fears, and everything else in between. It only takes a couple of minutes a day to write in your journal and can be even less if you want it to be.
As long as you are doing it regularly, you will see the fantastic benefits from it.
These journal prompts mentioned above will help you work out your feelings that you just haven’t had the time to work through. Not that you don’t love being there for your kids for every beck and call, but sometimes you just have to step back and take care of yourself first.
Mental health can be a huge factor in how you parent your children. Let journaling help you work through your feelings so you can become the best mother you can be to them.
About the Author:
I am Lindsey from Simplifyingmamahood.com where I work with moms to give them practical ways to simplify their chaotic lives so they can learn to enjoy motherhood. I am a loving wife and mother who spends her days building forts and counting cars with an adorable 2.5 year old boy.
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[…] that with self-love. You’ve done an incredible job and deserve it! Consider getting a self-care journal that can prompt you to be more positive and calm. Notice the emotions you are feeling each day […]