Self care is all about, as you may have assumed in the name, caring for yourself. One of the self care practices I will introduce in this website is journaling. Journaling is a great reflective practice and has been around for a long time, and has been used by many people all around the world. Journaling is the first step to awareness and could be used as an outlet to release stress and in many cases, even a creative outlet.
Writing is extremely therapeutic, and is a free way to express yourself and release anything you need in a healthy, nonviolent way. Writing down your thoughts and emotions is one of the best ways to introspect, analyze your situation and learn from it.
Many movies and TV shows incorporate journaling into their plot, as journaling is more popular in history and media than you might think. For example, in the movie, “Mean Girls”, the burn book that the mean girls used to gossip about all of the other students at the school is actually an example of Regina and the girls journaling.
Their journal had been a way for them to express their anger and disgust towards students on paper, instead of holding onto their emotions. Now, I am not saying to create a burn book but, I am saying your journal should be a judgement free zone, and a safe place for you to release anything you need to release.
Here is a playlist for journaling: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2C02ngfr2nRiwzT84eXjKk?si=hYJCODJKReaTT1b01BdvMA
I recommend journaling once a night before bed or, journaling once a day when you wake up so, you can have that meditative time daily. Even 5 minutes goes a very long way. Just write a thought down and you may gain clarity and release negativity.
Journaling can shift your mindset very quickly so, I recommend getting a pretty piece of paper, a nice pen and getting started.
Here are some journal prompts to get you started if you need, take what resonates:
What am I grateful for?
What’s my favorite thing to eat and how do I make it?
Who are the top 5 most important people to me and why?
What are my favorite colors and what aesthetic am I?
If I was an animal, what would I be and why?
How was my day/ how do I want my days to go?
What is my ideal life?
What is my ideal income? What would I buy in my ideal life?
What do I like to do?
What is something I am currently fangirling over?
What are some self care practices I can incorporate into my life?
What are my favorite plants? How do they grow? Why?
What did I dream of last night?
What is my workout routine?
What is a good nighttime routine/ morning routine?
What’s a memory that makes me feel happy?
What are my goals?
Healing through words is a journal/ interactive book written by Rupi Kaur and can aid your healing processes. Picture taken by Elizabeth Widener and edited with Adobe Premier Pro and Snapseed.
Self Care Big Sis 