23 Journal Prompts to Improve Your Self-Esteem

You can use journal prompts to improve self-esteem and get to know yourself on a deeper level. When you journal, you tap into different states of mind that help you become clearer about your desires and the person you want to become. The more often you journal to improve self-esteem, the better your relationship with yourself will be.

Sometimes people feel like they have to have a journaling prompt, which is why I've listed many below. If you don't have a prompt, and just reflect on the day through writing, that can be incredibly helpful too. Journal prompts and ideas to get you started are great but the real work comes from you learning more about yourself through writing. If you don't take time to reflect you may get to a point where you suffer from low self-esteem.

When you journal to improve self-esteem, think of it as a fun activity, there is no wrong way to do it as long as you spend a few minutes reflecting and writing about you.

Journal Prompts That Help Improve Self-Esteem

Journal Prompts for Reflecting on Today

• What went well today? Can you think of five things?
• What was challenging for you today and what did you learn about yourself from that experience?
• What did you enjoy about today? Can you think of particular experience or examples that made you happy during the day?
• What are you grateful for? Can you think of 10 people or things that you have gratitude for today?
• What do you want to feel tomorrow? What do you desire for yourself tomorrow?

Journal Prompts for Reflecting on the Week

• Who made you feel good this week? What did they do or say?
• What was the biggest mistake you made this week? What did you learn about yourself from this mistake?
• How did you surprise yourself this week? Did you do something the old you would have never been able to do?
• What did you do this week that moved you closer to reaching your goals?
• Is there anything you did this week that you wish you’d done differently?
• What did you enjoy doing this week?
• What did you learn this week?

Journal Prompts for Improving Self-Esteem

• What makes you unique (positive comments only, please)?
• Write your body a letter thanking it for all it does for you (try not to be negative or body-shaming).
• How do you want to be remembered and what do you need to do in order to be remembered this way?
• Make a list of things you want to do before next year.
• Make a list of your best character traits.
• Make a list of your accomplishments, see if you can go through your life span and list 20.
• What are you really good at?
• How would your best friend describe you?
• What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
• Who are your role models and why? How are you on your path to be more like them?
• What would with your time if money were no object?
• If you could become an expert in any subject or activity, what would it be?

Want more prompts? Check on this post: Six Exercises that Improve Self-Esteem.

Emily is the author of Express Yourself: A Teen Girls Guide to Speaking Up and Being Who You Are. You can visit Emily’s Guidance Girl website. You can also find her on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.