7 Journal Prompts for Self-esteem
Self-esteem is the foundation for a healthy, happy life.
When we feel good about ourselves, our relationships reflect that love and respect. We’re also more successful at work because we are confident in our abilities. Fulfilling goals feels natural instead of being a lifelong struggle.
In this blog you will learn about building healthy self-esteem and tips for loving yourself exactly as you are.
What is Healthy Self-esteem?
Self-esteem is the ability to love and accept yourself, mistakes and all. No matter what you’ve accomplished or left undone, you can like yourself without feeling bad or guilty. There is a certain knowing that is deep inside that you are enough.
Self-esteem is not:
Being at the top of your field
Collecting trophies of winning
Bragging about accomplishment, money or status
Having successful marriages or other relationships
Dating or marrying someone beautiful
Why is journaling good for self-esteem?
Writing prompts are simple exercises to help you heal. Most people find them easy to do and feel empowered because they can heal on their own. These are introspective questions to identify problem areas so they can be healed.
Here are 7 writing prompts for increasing self-esteem.
What do you like about yourself?
When you’ve grown up in a dysfunctional family, self-esteem isn’t an an easy task. Maybe you didn’t get recognized for being special or didn’t hear encouraging words from loved ones. Experiencing abuse or neglect reinforces the belief that you’re not worthy.
When self-esteem is low, start by finding what’s good in you. Write a list of positive traits that makes you unique.
Acknowledging these traits helps to increase self-esteem. Ask your loved ones for feedback if you get stuck.
Don’t confuse acknowledging your gifts with being arrogant. They are not the same thing. Healthy self-esteem means that you are equal - no better or less than anyone else.
2. How can you let go of what others think of you?
Worrying about what others think of you is a common problem with low self-esteem. Instead of focusing on what’s outside of you, redirect that focus to what you can control - yourself.
Stop assuming that you know what other people think. You’ll be happier when you put your focus on what you are doing instead of what you have no control over.
Grab my free journal prompts and more but click the image below!
3. Where do you need to say no or set boundaries in your life?
When saying yes when you mean no becomes a habit, resentment can soon follow. Putting your needs last reinforces the belief that your needs don’t count - but they do!
Saying no when it’s not in your best interest is how we dishonor ourselves in relationship. Challenge old beliefs that tell you that you should always say yes. Saying no gives you control of your time and energy and reminds you that your needs matter.
Saying no is an act of self-care when done respectfully.
4. How can you be kinder to yourself?
Everyone makes mistakes but when you can’t let go of them, it creates pain. Beating yourself up needs to stop in order to rebuild self-esteem.
Take an inventory of any negative thoughts about yourself. Confront each one as being untrue. Usually, critical, negative thoughts come from our loved ones when we were children.
It’s helpful to trace these thoughts to where they started. They often belong to parents or other family members. By identifying where you learned them you can begin to release them as being untrue.
That can be a powerful way to reclaim your self-esteem. Hurt people hurt people, and they likely didn’t know how to be any different.
5. How do others usually compliment you?
When you’re struggling to like yourself ask for help. Sometimes, friends and family know us better than we know ourselves. Ask them what they like about you.
Challenge yourself to see your essence with the eyes of your loved ones. Reading this shows that you’re a good person looking for help.
Living in the shadows of self-doubt and fear hurts. Let those critical voices go and start fresh by replacing them with kind, loving thoughts from people who love you.
6. How can you let go of trying to be perfect?
When you come from an alcoholic or dysfunctional family, not measuring up to other people’s standards can create a need to be perfect. Unfortunately, this also creates a lot of stress because no one ever achieves it.
Ask yourself, who are you trying to be perfect for? If you’ve been told that you’ll never amount to anything, it’s tempting to want to prove them wrong but the only one that matters is your own approval.
7. How can you forgive yourself for past mistakes?
Obsessing over past mistakes makes developing a healthy sense of self next to impossible. Start by acknowledging any behaviors that may have caused hurt and seek to make amends. Making things right can build a bridge of self-forgiveness that can restore self-esteem.
For help healing resentments click here for A Resentment Journal for Healing and Making Amends.
Final thoughts on Building Self-esteem
Healthy self-esteem starts with letting go of what’s not working. Doing this work helps you develop a deep knowing that you are enough. It’s accepting who you are no matter what.
Just keep writing and embracing your own imperfections. It’s the most loving thing you can do for yourself.