In this post, learn why practicing self love is of the utmost importance and find 53 journal prompts for self love that you can use daily.
Why is it that loving other people feels natural and easy? But loving ourselves is often really hard to do?
This is especially true for women, who not only are natural caregivers, but also have been raised with the notion that we should take care of others before we take care of ourselves.
Once we become mothers, this is compounded by societal expectations for us to consistently push aside our personal needs and desires in order to selflessly give of ourselves to family and household responsibilities, often at the expense of our mental health and happiness.
Only in recent years have the concepts of self-love and self-care become a focus for us, and thus this has left many women starting from a place of being wholly unfamiliar with how to even recognize their needs, let alone how to lead with self-love.
Read on to learn more about the importance of practicing self love as a mom and find 53 self-love journal prompts to help you better love yourself and what makes you uniquely you.
Related: “5 Ways to Kickstart Your Self Love Journey Today”
What is self-love?
Self-love is somewhat of an ambiguous concept because it can be very personal.
Essentially, it’s about loving yourself for who you are, treating yourself with compassion, and regularly taking actions that support your sense of well-being and happiness.
When you practice self-love, you strive to respect and treat yourself like you would a dear friend, deeply understanding your own value and honoring your needs.
Why is it important to practice self-love as a mom?
A big part of practicing self-love is making yourself a priority and honoring your needs and as moms, we certainly have the tendency to put our own needs on the backburner.
It seems so many of us fall victim to the misconception that ONLY once all of the tasks on our to-do lists are complete and everyone else’s needs are tended to, are we allowed to take care of ourselves.
It’s no wonder we think this given our culture where moms are constantly being told that we must martyr ourselves and give our all to everything else before giving anything to ourselves.
Of course it’s only natural to feel that our families come first and to want to prioritize family and home before anything else, even at the expense of putting off our personal needs and desires.
But this often leaves us feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled and consistently delaying or ignoring our personal needs and desires can have a truly detrimental effect on our overall well-being and even lead to burnout.
When we practice self-love, it becomes easier to recognize and honor our needs more regularly as we learn to view taking care of ourselves as an integral part of our self-love practice.
Related: “How to Put Yourself First Without Feeling Guilty”
How do I practice self-love?
To get started with practicing self-love, you must cultivate a relationship with yourself. In other words, spend time getting to know yourself better and learn to enjoy your own company!
Think of getting to know yourself like starting a new relationship. In the beginning of a relationship, you want to learn everything you can about the other person – their personality, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and all their little quirks.
You’re curious about this new person and ask questions to better understand them and nurture the relationship. Try doing the same with yourself.
Don’t be afraid to spend time alone and just simply be with yourself. Find ways to connect with yourself and examine the inner workings of your mind by taking the time to engage in self-reflection.
Related: “11 Ways To Connect With Yourself Every Day (and Why It Matters)”
What should I journal about self love?
Journal prompts for self love are a great way to get started with nurturing this self relationship. Self-love journaling provides a powerful method to self-reflect, connect with and understand yourself better so that you can strengthen your self relationship.
Below are a variety of self love journal prompts to cultivate and nurture your relationship with yourself. Pick 1-2 from this list to journal on each day to give yourself a boost of self-love. I hope these inspire you daily – happy journaling!
53 Journal Prompts for Self Love
- When was a time when I felt truly connected to myself and my needs? What was I doing and what about it made me feel connected?
- What limiting beliefs or negative thoughts about myself do I need to let go of in order to nurture a healthier self-relationship?
- What are three qualities or strengths within myself that I admire and why?
- How can I acknowledge my positive traits and strengths more often?
- How can I create boundaries that protect my own needs and well-being while also fostering strong relationships with my children and partner?
- What boundaries do I need to set within my life to protect my well-being and ensure a healthy balance for myself?
- What accomplishments in my life am I most proud of and why?
- What does happiness mean to me?
- How do I currently spend my free time and is this how I’d like to spend it?
- Am I content with my life or would I like to change anything?
- What are my top three priorities in life right now, and how do I want to allocate my time to them?
- How do I currently prioritize self-care, and are there changes I need to make to ensure it’s a consistent part of my schedule?
- What are the signs of burnout or overwhelm that I should be aware of in myself? Am I taking measures to prevent them?
- What activities or hobbies bring me joy and fulfillment, and how can I make more time for them?
- What are three activities that always make me feel rejuvenated and restored?
- What obstacles or beliefs prevent me from dedicating more time to my own needs and desires?
- How can I overcome the obstacles and beliefs that are holding me back from taking care of myself?
- What small, daily acts of self-care would I find supportive and how can I integrate them into my routine?
- Do I speak to myself kindly? What is some of my negative self-talk that I can work on changing?
- What small gestures of appreciation and love can I show myself as part of my daily routine?
- What is the most common negative thought I have about myself and how can I turn it into positive?
- If I could only use five words, how would I describe myself?
- How can I step out of my comfort zone more?
- If I had more time to do what I love, what would I do?
- Do I consider myself a good friend? How do I show up for others?
- When was the last time I cried and why?
- What do I need more of in my life?
- How have my darkest moments or most challenging obstacles shaped me into who I am today?
- When do I feel the most at peace? What am I doing? Where am I located?
- What fears hold me back from living my best life?
- If I couldn’t fail, what would I do?
- How can I feel more fulfilled in my current life?
- What advice would I give to my younger self?
- How would an ideal day in my dream life look? What would I do?
- What’s my biggest insecurity? What would life look like if I let it go?
- What do I love most about my life?
- Is there anything about my life that I wish was different? Can I make any changes today?
- How do I feel about my body?
- Am I taking care of my body in the best way possible? Are there changes I need to make?
- Do I have any habits that are not serving me well and what can I do to change them? What good habits do I want to cultivate instead?
- What was a life-changing moment for me?
- How would I describe myself to a complete stranger?
- When do I feel most confident in myself, and when do I feel the least confident in myself?
- What is something that cheers me up when I’m feeling down?
- What was a situation in which I felt strong and powerful?
- Do I feel comfortable spending time alone? Why or why not?
- How do I want to be remembered by my loved ones? By my peers and colleagues?
- What makes me happy in my life? Make a list.
- What are my biggest challenges right now in my life? How can I take steps to improve or move past them?
- What positive beliefs do I hold about myself? Try turning these into positive affirmations.
- What is the one thing I love most about myself?
- Write yourself a love letter.
- Am I doing enough to cultivate my personal growth? Brainstorm five things I can do this month.
Carly is a wife, mom, and former NYC fashion industry executive turned writer and life coach. Through her writings on littlevoicebigmatter.com, she shares practical advice, heartfelt insights, and actionable resources to inspire and support women in motherhood, relationships, wellness, and life. Carly also helps women create better balance in their lives and live with more joy, purpose, and connection every day through her coaching.