Sometimes, it can seem like a difficult task to love yourself. It seems natural to love oneself, so why is this so difficult?

It might seem like you won’t love yourself. While you know how important this is, your thoughts automatically turn to the negative. It’s almost like a glass wall in your head. You can see the greener pastures on one side but not the other. Your conscious mind may understand one thing, but your subconscious mind has bad programming.

We can get so used to thinking in a certain way that we have to be positive to reprogram our minds.

What will journaling do for you?

Writing down things helps you focus your thoughts. Writing is a great way to develop new ways of thinking.

Listed below are some JOURNALING EXERCISES FOR SELF-LOVE

Name Your Inner Critic

Everyone has an inner critic. This inner critic is the voice that compares you to others and points out your “imperfections”. You can make it easier to address those negative thoughts by separating them from your healthy thoughts.

GIVE THE VOICE IN OUR HEAD A NAME.

My name is Naggy Nelly. (I am sorry if Nelly is your name. Please write down the name of your inner critic and put it in your journal.

LIST THEIR ATTRIBUTES

They are a little judgy. They can be a bit too judgy. They are pessimists. However, she’s also self-conscious and afraid.

DIG A PICTURE OF THEM

It doesn’t matter if your drawing is complicated; just a quick sketch will do. You might see them as a teacher or a friend from second grade. Or maybe they look younger.

Visualize your inner critic drawing a speech bubble out of their mouth every time they speak. It’s much easier to see them as individuals than yourself and recognize when they’re not telling the truth.

I THANK THEM FOR TRYING to PROTECT ME

Your inner critic is trying to protect you from being hurt. Although they aren’t going to do it right, they still have the right intentions. Their hearts are right. Send them a thank-you note. Thank them for their efforts, and let them know that you both are safe.

Rewrite the script

You now know who your inner critic is. What can you do about the negative thoughts they are hurling at you?

Sometimes it takes some reflection to recognize when a negative thought arises. These thoughts are so integrated with other thoughts that they might not be obvious.

Write down any negative thoughts you identify. You can draw a line through the negative thought and rewrite it as a positive thought.

These are just two examples.

I keep making mistakes. > I made a mistake, but that’s part and parcel of being human. I will learn as much as I can from this experience, and I will try again next year.

It’s a terrible thing that I said that. It’s so awkward. > I was so embarrassed that I made the wrong mistake. But I know that I am intelligent and worthy to be loved.

List the things you love about yourself

Make a list of all the things you love about yourself. You mean everything. Be as specific as possible. You can include aspects of your personality, such as your appearance or actions. You can’t be too random.

ADD TO THE LISTE

Add another thing you love about yourself to your list whenever you think of it. This list will take up a lot of space in your journal. This list may even be the subject of an entire journal. You can write so much!

REVIEW THE LIST

You won’t find the time to go through the list if you don’t need it. It’s worth reviewing. Perhaps you can write your favourite lines on a sticky note and stick them to the mirror.

For self-love, journaling prompts

These prompts will help you to embrace self-love.

Write an entry about your pet if you have one. What does your pet think of you?

What is it that makes you unique?

Imagine that you have a son or daughter exactly like yourself. Please send a letter to them.

Write a thank-you note for a skill you have learned and choose one to share.

What were five of the most important things you did last year?

Affirmations to Self-Love

To change your thinking, you can make affirmations. Write 3 to 5 affirmations in your journal, sometimes even daily.

These 5 affirmations will get you started.

Every day, my self-love increases

Self-love is something I can do.

It is okay to have imperfections in life.

For past mistakes, I am sorry.

I’m enough just as I am

These journaling exercises can be continued regularly. Your body requires constant water, food, and sleep. The same goes for your mind.