Low self-esteem was a problem throughout my entire life. Early on, I hated what I saw in my mirror. I was different than most girls at school. This meant I was not good enough. To avoid rejection or attention, I kept myself small.

These negative thoughts stayed with me throughout my adulthood, and had serious consequences. Lack of self-confidence lead to poor relationships, missed opportunities, and a decades-long shopping addiction. I turned 40 this year and still struggle with the self-doubts and fears of my youth.

There is some good news. We all have easy access journaling, which is a powerful tool to combat negative beliefs.

My journal allows me to be vulnerable and do my inner work in my own time without worrying about judgement. These prompts have helped me increase my self-confidence and build healthy self-esteem. I hope you find them useful.

7 Self-Esteem Journal Prompts

What was the first time you felt like you weren’t good enough?

Regular readers will be aware that I speak constantly about finding the root of our thoughts, beliefs and ideas. Many times, we tell ourselves lies about our abilities.

How do you decide what to believe? One thing that worked for me was going back in my time. Ask yourself, “When was it that I first noticed these fears?

For example, I believed that I was a terrible writer for most of my life. My poor spelling was a joke that my family used to make about me as a child.

Although I realize it was a fun joke and they weren’t trying to hurt me, I still have a seed in my head. The next 20 years were spent telling myself I was a “numbers person”, not a writer.

This is only one example and has been relatively innocuous over the long-term. However, I do know that our stories about ourselves (our appearances, intelligence, potential, and how loved we are) can be quite damaging. The consequences can be catastrophic.

While it won’t make your stories disappear, knowing the source of them can help you to lessen their power over you. If you need help to let go of the past then the first step is to get out your journal and examine where your beliefs originated.

Please describe a time when confidence was a strong feeling. How did you feel and what were you doing?

Now that you are aware of the stories that make you feel small, it is time to change the story. Recall a time when your confidence and self-worth were high.

In as many details as you can, describe what you did and how it made you feel. Enjoy your memories. Allow them to grow and you will soon be able to let go of the negative stories that keep you from moving forward.

Find the positive things in life and celebrate your best qualities.

Human nature is to be focused on our weaknesses and downplay our strengths. It can be difficult to be objective. Journal prompts are therefore so useful.

For 10 minutes, set a timer and start looking for examples that will challenge your self-doubts. Write and don’t think about it. You should look for compliments, awards and accomplishments. Remember that even the smallest things are important. Use positive adjectives to highlight your best qualities.

It might seem strange or silly at first. But that’s because most people aren’t used to seeing themselves in a positive light. Show yourself love and write about yourself the same way that you would describe a friend or loved one.

It’s easy to do, so start today. It can be a daily practice in your self-love journey.

What would make someone more confident?

Uncapped expectations and endless comparisons make it difficult to feel confident. The sky is limit. Even the most hardworking person can’t keep up to Elon Musk ( , who reportedly works 120 hour a week), or feel beautiful beside models from magazines.

These are the standards that we set ourselves, and it is hard to feel satisfied if they are our only standard. This is obvious, but we still feel the constant pressure to do more.

Sometimes, it’s easy to be more confident if you can relate. Perhaps you are only doubting your ability to follow the rules of others. A different perspective can help you define success and being “good enough”.

Write your self-love affirmations.

Affirmations are short statements we repeat to ourselves. They don’t work magic, as nothing on this list does. They can help to rewrite negative beliefs for some people.

You might find it difficult to know where to begin. Consider the question “What would make you feel more confident ?”).?” Your answers will inspire you to create your own positive affirmations.

If you believe that loving your body will make you more confident, then you might try the affirmation, “I love my body”. If that doesn’t feel comfortable, you can try something more natural like “I love my body.” This phrase can be incorporated into your daily journaling routine and you will see how your feelings change over time.

“So what …””

Many of these prompts are focused on positive feelings, such as describing your best qualities. Here’s an alternative approach to boost your self-confidence. Asking “so what?”

  • What if I am not good at writing?
  • What if your pants aren’t fitting?
  • It doesn’t matter if I make too many bad jokes!
  • What if someone leaves negative comments about my blog?

These things can be interpreted as me failing or living in a bad way. Or I can simply say “so what”.

Sometimes I make mistakes and use spell-check heavily. My ideas are worth sharing, but this doesn’t make them less valuable. If I allow it, a few extra kilos and the opinions of strangers on the internet aren’t worth less.

This is not an easy task, but it’s worth a try. Ask yourself “so much” or “who cares”, then see where your thinking leads you.

Think of three ways you can get out of your comfort zone.

High self-esteem and trust in oneself go hand-in-hand, I believe. It gives you confidence when you challenge yourself to do difficult things, no matter how small, and then follow through with your plans.

These are just three ways to stretch your comfort zone. You don’t need to do anything dramatic to increase your confidence. You might find that something as simple as reaching out to a friend, signing up to a class or going out for dinner on your own can make a big difference in how you feel about yourself. Make a list with a pen.