Journaling for Self-Care

This is probably not the first time you have heard about journaling for self-care, and it 
likely won’t be the last. But aside from just adding journaling to your routine, it is 
important to understand why it can be so therapeutic and cathartic for you, and why it is 
considered to be a self-care activity.


Why Journaling is Considered Self-Care

When you think about self-care, you want to think about what will improve your life, 
make you feel happier and healthier, and be good for your physical, mental, and 
emotional health. That is where journaling comes in.

Journaling provides many things for many people, but it won’t always have the same 
benefits for each person. What you get out of journaling relies on how you use it, what 
you write about, your mindset about journaling, and if you even enjoy writing. 

However, in general, here are some reasons journaling can be good for self-care:

It is a reflecting activity, letting you see where you want to make improvements in your 
life.
You can do a brain dump, where you get all the stressful thoughts out of your head and 
onto paper.
It helps you to vent in a safe, private space without fearing judgment.
It gives you a few moments of peace and quiet, where you focus on yourself and how 
you are feeling.


How to Turn Journaling into a Daily Ritual

If you want to use journaling as part of your self-care routine, here are a few things that 
can help you with that. 

Start with morning pages. Morning pages are simple 2-3 pages you write down in 
your journal during your morning routine. It is stream of consciousness style, where you 
just write anything on your mind, not worrying about the topic, sentence structure, 
grammar, or any other writing rules.

Set up your journaling space. For some people, the area in their home they use for 
journaling is just as important as choosing the journal itself. You want this to be a quiet, 
private space in your home without distractions. A bedroom or office works great for 
this.

Use journaling prompts. If you are feeling stuck on what to write about, try using 
journal prompts. These are sentences or questions that give you a specific topic to write 
about.


Types of Journaling for Your Overall Wellness

Remember that there are different types of journaling that can help with your wellness 
and work for self-care. Here is a rundown of some of the more popular options.

Stream of consciousness. This is where you don’t think about what to write about, and 
instead are just doing a “brain dump” where you get your thoughts out of your head. 
Typically, you end up writing about many different things, and go with the flow of your 
thoughts.

Daily journaling. Do you remember writing to your diary when you were a pre-teen? 
That is similar to daily journaling. It is often done at the end of the day, where you write 
about how your day went, how it could have been improved, and any reflections you 
have about your day.

Goal setting and specific topics. Some people prefer using their journal for specific 
things, like setting goals or expressing their creativity with short stories.




