Raising Self-Esteem: Start a Self-Love Journaling Practice

How are the quality of your relationships? How about one of the most important relationships we have - your relationship with yourself?  Do you have a high self-esteem, or a low self-esteem?

If you believe you have a low self-esteem, you aren’t alone - nearly 85% of Americans report having a low self-esteem. A study from the National Science Foundation estimates about 80% of our 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day are negative.  That is anywhere between 9,600 and 48,000 negative thoughts running through our mind on a daily basis.  Can you imagine the impact that, that must have on multiple levels in our lives, not just self-image?

Low self-esteem can also impact various aspects of our life.  We are at a higher risk for substance abuse, at a greater chance of developing anxiety and depression, and are more likely to have problems in our interpersonal relationships.

Now that you can comprehend how common low self-esteem can be and the negative impact of it, there are ways to improve self-esteem.  Journaling is just one way to improve your relationship with yourself.  Check out these three tips on starting a journal routine of your own to raise your self-esteem:

Set an Achievable Goal for Starting a Writing Routine

First, give yourself a goal to write either a certain amount or a certain number of times during the week in your journal.  Unless you’re sure you can achieve it, don’t set an initial goal for writing 10 pages a night, every night. Pick an amount that feels reasonable and will be an easy win for you, even if your goal is to write one page per week in the beginning.  You should feel success and affirmation from starting your practice, not failure.

Use Journal Prompts Based on Self-Esteem

Have you ever tried journaling and thought, “what in the world am I supposed to write about?!”?  Using journal prompts for self-esteem eliminates the nervousness about picking a topic.  Some journal prompts for self-esteem may include writing about your wins of the day, or recalling your strengths, or pretending you are another person writing about your good qualities.  Some great prompts can be found here.

Don’t Overthink It!

At the end of the day, starting to journal for your self-esteem shouldn’t be a complicated procedure.  Analyzing how many pages you’ll write and what you’ll write about and when you’ll have time, and, and, and … will only lead to more frustration!  Don’t overthink journaling - if you feel inspired or called to write, then do so.  If you don’t feel like it, or you’ve tried it and it just isn’t for you, then there’s no pressure to journal.  It’s as easy as that!

I hope this blog post provides you with a tool that you can use to boost your relationship with yourself and your self-esteem!  If your own efforts are not cutting it, you may want to talk to a professional about your self-concept.  At Higher Life Pathways, we have clinicians that would love to help you navigate the waters of self-image.  Reach out to us today by filling out a contact form on our website to hear from a member of our staff about how we can partner with you for therapeutic services to increase self-awareness, self-esteem and self-confidence in your life.

Higher Life Pathways Counseling Services LLC

1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 600 Alexandria, VA 22314

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (571) 946-8115