As this New York Times article correctly states, journaling might be the cheapest form of self-care. It is a very good habit that helps organize our thoughts and allows us to think more complexly and systematically, contributes to self-understanding, self-awareness, and mindfulness, boosts communication skills and memory, and might even improve our sleep, immunity, and even our I.Q.
The Complex and Multilateral Benefits of Journaling
The incontestable benefits of journaling have paved the way for its systematic application in psychology. It is a very good exercise for improving mental health and is frequently employed by psychologists to promote introspection and self-observation of one’s thoughts or actions. It allows patients to rationalize and distance themselves, which helps in overcoming emotional trauma from various forms of abuse, loss, difficult life situations, etc. Even in a regular setting, it can be a valuable instrument and a healthy habit useful in dealing with life’s adversities.
By writing down persistent thoughts that bother us, we help to remove them from our working memory, freeing the brain for other thoughts, including more positive ones. Under closer scrutiny, we might discover that some of our thoughts that gain lots of daily attention don’t hold very much substance and are mere illusions or proxies of other hidden feelings or attitudes. Chances are that sorting all the issues listed above are the main thing that can help unblock and promote our personal evolution. But journaling can be also employed with great success to specifically boost positive feelings, such as self-confidence and self-esteem.
Journal Prompts to Boost Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem
When hunting for inspiration, all methods are acceptable (within the limits of the law and morals, of course). One great way is to access the inspiration and enthusiasm stored by other unique minds in writings. Thus, one could find a list of inspiring essays at https://subjecto.com/ on a great variety of topics, starting with evidence-based explorations of certain subjects and ending with creative pieces of self-expression.
Below, we also want to provide a list of journal prompts that might hopefully be of use:
- What valuable understandings do you think you have that most people seem oblivious to? How did you acquire these understandings and what value do they hold?
- Why are you so attached to your most cherished values? What is the exact reason why you are so attached to them?
- What personal qualities set you apart from the crowd? What confirmations did you get from other people that this is so?
- What are some actions you did or words you said that still make you feel proud to this day? How did they help or change others, how did they change yourself?
- What is the most daring project you would attempt if you knew it would succeed?
- Are there any compliments other people made repeatedly that you used to overlook or deny? How justified was your attitude?
- What personal qualities do you possess that society doesn’t appreciate to its just value? It could be a trait that the current system of values and cultural framework tends to ignore but which was considered valuable in the past, or you think will be considered so in the future.
- Visualize yourself in 10 years. What kind of person do you see? What are his/ her achievements, goals, lifestyle, mindset? Where will this person be in 20 years?
- Visualize the people you will be surrounded by in 10 years. What will they be thinking about you?
- What achievements you are aiming for most of all? Imagine for a second that you managed to attain them. What would you feel like? How would this transform you?
- What are the most valuable lessons you learned from negative experiences? How these lessons make you a better or wiser person?
- Do you feel blocked in your evolution by any issues? What are these issues under closer scrutiny? Is there something else hiding behind them? Do you know any people that faced the same issues but managed to overcome them? How did they do so?
- What are the activities that make you feel more confident? Why do you think they help you? What alternative activities or ways could help achieve the same effect?
- What are the top things you are grateful for and the top people you are grateful to?
- Were there any situations when you invested lots of effort but did not get recognition or did not achieve success due to some unfortunate circumstances? Do you know other people who experienced similar situations but were not affected by this too much?
- Think of several times in your life when you felt entirely content. What did you need to achieve this state in each of the cases? How hard is it really to get each of the ingredients?
- Remember the moments when other people expressed gratitude to you. What do you think this meant for them?
- What are the physical traits you like most of all in yourself? How many people you know have them?
- What works of art (poems, songs) you find most inspiring, and why exactly? What fundamental personal qualities do you think these preferences reveal?
- What biographies inspire you and why exactly? Do you see any similarities between you and these people?
Final Thoughts
Although writing to boost self-esteem might require a bit of discipline until you manage to form a habit, it is very important to not force the process – it must not by any means become something you do with a heavy heart. This is a pleasurable activity that should make you feel more content each time. You could also benefit enormously from the habit of combining writing exercises with actions, even small ones.
For instance, if you reflect on or write about gratitude, show some gratitude to people around you (even for minor things) and notice how this changes their mood or attitude and how this changes yourself. Your next prompt could very well be about this realization and the start of a sequel series.
Author bio: Marques Coleman
Marques specializes in content writing focused particularly on the field of education. Apart from this, he often publishes student-focused articles on how to improve writing efficiency, boost creativity, avoid writer’s block, learn to self-express, etc. He enthusiastically follows the evolutions in EdTech industry, which is another preferred subject of his posts.
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