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  • Self Care Journal Prompts

    This is an expansion to my Saturday Journaling post on my IG account. I hope you find this helpful in asking yourself what you need in a non-judgmental manner. These are things that we would want to know about other people but we aren’t used to inquiring about ourselves.

    The Journal Prompt question is related to Self Care and expanding on that concept.

    When discussing self care and what that looks like, especially in the context of this year the message is constantly focused on what to add or do. If you read any articles or scroll through Instragram you’ll run into someone referencing self care and what to do.

    I want to focus on identifying what you need. You need a starting point of what your basic needs are, what it looks like for YOU and what it means to live that life before you decide if you need to add something.  You can’t know what you’re missing if you don’t know what you need.

    This is our first step.
    This is our chance to think about you need, not what people tell you that you need, not what your friend or neighbor needs but rather what YOU need.

    What do you need, what does your body need, what are your spiritual needs, what are your physical health needs?

    Some examples would be SLEEP- how many hours does your body need to feel rested and rejuvenated?
    The questions isn’t, What can you give your body, not what your friend can survive on, or what other people suggest for you? How many HOURS do you need? What does it feel like when you get 5, 6, 7 or 8 hours? Where do you feel the best?
    You may not be able to get it to that point every night or even most nights but having an idea of what you need is a good place to start. You’ll be able to gauge when you’re off track and how to get back back on track.

    Second question would be exercise- how many minutes or hours of exercise do you need? What kind of exercise do you enjoy and feel good about when you’re participating in it?  Are you a yoga person, a HIIT training person, walking or jogging, or running?  Do you prefer to dance as your exercise? Do you prefer to be outside for your exercise? What about golfing, swimming or taking a leisurely stroll? Gauge and connect with what you enjoy. It’s not what’s trendy or what’s good for you but what you like. It’s not what everyone else is doing.
    Checking in with yourself and what types of movements does your body prefer. We’re not all created equal and this is a great starting place to connect with yourself.

    What about Foods- what types of foods do you enjoy eating? And not just what’s tasty otherwise potato chips would be a staple for me every day and all day.  Are you 3 square meals a day type of person, or a 6 small meals a day type of person, or what about a late breakfast person?  What types of foods make your body feel energized and good with? It’s not about eating healthy everyday but knowing what works for you.

    These are just some examples to get started. What does it look like when I’m engaging in self care for ME?  What does an ideal day look like when that’s happening? Asking yourself what you need on a basic and instinctual level not what you “should” be doing.

    What about your free time? Do you feel better and more connected with more time to read, or to play with your children, your grandchildren or pets? Do I feel better when I’m participating in my hobbies? How much time do I need for my hobbies? How am I spending my time and am I happy with that?

    Have fun with this initial list. This is an opportunity to be curious and inquisitive about yourself and your body.
    This isn’t meant to tell you where you are lacking but rather to ask yourself of where you want to be ideally. This way you can start plotting the changes that must occur to get you where you want to be. You won’t be there overnight but at least you’ll know what you’re aiming for.