Sometimes we just don’t feel so good about ourselves, especially if we’ve hit a patch of writer’s block. But you know what? That’s okay! We’re only human, and we go through cycles like everything else in nature. There’s a lot of pressure to be flawless or to write a masterpiece on the first draft . . . but most of the time, that just doesn’t happen.
If you’re feeling down, it does help to get some thoughts and feelings on paper, no matter what they are! So here are some writing prompts to boost yourself up whenever you’ve hit a wall with your writing or you’re feeling gray. It is never a bad idea to celebrate yourself!
- A list of likes: Grab your journal and set a five-minute timer on your phone. In those five minutes (which will no doubt feel like an eternity), write down all the things that you like about yourself. Leave no stone unturned! Do you like your hair? Your laugh? The way you always remember to close the cabinets after grabbing a glass?
- Be your own BFF: Friends know how to hype their friends. That’s what we’re here for! When you are crafting that perfect HBD gram for your friend, I’m sure you are crushing it with the confidence-giving adjectives. It’s because you love your friends and you want them to feel good! What if you focused that same energy inward? Write yourself a love note, expressing all the things you would say if you were your own best friend. Trust me—it’s awesome. Stick with it through the weirdness and you’ll learn to love being your own hype man!
- Two sides to the story: Sometimes our inner critic can be a real drag. Like a will-not-leave-you-alone kind of drag. In that case, it can help to get your mean thoughts out on paper so you can reason with yourself. Make a T chart. On one side, write all the negative things you are thinking (For example, “I really cannot stand my feet.”). On the other side, respond to your negative thought with all the love you can muster (“Your feet are perfectly human and perfectly yours!”).
Here are some simple open-ended prompts to get you started:
- “I am most proud of myself when I . . .”
- “I feel my best when I am . . .”
- “I felt strong and capable when I . . .”
- “The best thing about me is my __________ because . . .”
- “The people who love me love me because . . .”
- “I love myself because . . .”
- “I love my life because I am . . .”
- “No one can take away my . . .”
