The world around us mirrors back our internal beliefs. If we believe ourselves worthless, we’ll often be treated like it. However, if we view ourselves as valuable and capable, others will view us that way. Our self-esteem determines how we view ourselves, and by improving it, we can live a better life.
In the article, we’ll explore what self-esteem is, how to journal for it and show 34 journal prompts for building self-esteem.
What is self-esteem
Self-esteem is how you value and perceive yourself as a person. It’s based on your beliefs and opinions about you as a person. Your self-esteem can have a significant impact on several areas of your life, including:
- Believe that you deserve to be happy
- Believe that you are good enough
- Move past mistakes
- Feel confident to try new things
- Can make decisions
- Can assert yourself
- Your mental health, such as anxiety and depression
- How much you overthink
Your self-esteem can have an impact on several important areas of your life. It can be difficult to try new things and reach your goals if it’s low. That’s why it’s so important to have a strong self-esteem.
The difference between self-esteem and self-confidence
Self-esteem and self-confidence are often mistaken as the same thing. While there is some overlap between the two, they are two separate things.
As we discovered above, self-esteem is about how you perceive and value yourself. It’s shaped by your life experiences and interactions with other people.
Self-confidence is about your belief in your abilities. It is often shaped by your performance in different areas of your life. This makes it possible to have high self-confidence in one area while it might be low in another.
As self-confidence and self-esteem are two different things one of them may be high while the other is low. The most common is low self-esteem, which makes it crucial to work on.
How journaling can increase self-esteem
We’re all people with unique strengths and values that we bring to the world around us. When our self-esteem is low, it can be difficult to notice those things, and we might bring ourselves down.
With a journal for self-esteem, you can make yourself aware of your unique strengths and values. As you do this, it’ll be easier to remember how great you are, and your self-esteem will slowly begin to increase.
What is a self-esteem journal?
A self-esteem journal is a journal where you intentionally work on strengthening your self-esteem by exploring your unique qualities, things you’re grateful for, and past achievements. Below are a few examples of how your self-esteem journal could look.
- A stream of consciousness journal to explore your qualities
- Self-esteem prompts to help you explore past achievement and your personal qualities
- To note down positive experiences
- To explore all the things you’re grateful for in life
The journal can focus on one of these areas, but many find it beneficial to combine the different types. The combination of the stream of consciousness journal and the self-esteem prompts is extremely effective.
34 journal prompts for building self-esteem
A great way to start your self-esteem journal is to use prompts to get you started. Below are 34 self-esteem prompts that you can use or take inspiration from.
- What is your favorite thing about yourself?
- Write down 3 things that brings you joy. How can you make them a bigger part of your life?
- Create a motivational message for yourself
- Name one negative belief you have about yourself. How can you challenge it?
- Write about a time where someone believed in you while you doubted yourself
- What’s one thing you’re looking forward to?
- List 3 things you’re good at
- Name a small act of kindness you’ve done
- Describe a thing you used to be insecure about but no longer are. How did you change that?
- What compliments do you get?
- Write a list of all the things you’ve done recently, big or small
- Think of a compliment that meant a lot to you. Who and what was it?
- What is something new you’ve learned recently
- What has made you insecure lately? How can you challenge the thought?
- What are 3 things you appreciate about yourself?
- Write a list of your best traits
- Reflect on times where you succeeded
- If you had no doubts about yourself, what would your goal be?
- What does strength mean to you?
- Describe the last time you felt strong or capable
- Think of someone you admire. Why do you admire them?
- What is something in the past that you’re still thinking off? How can you let it go?
- Write down your goals
- If you could give yourself advice on your insecurities, what would it be?
- How would your close friends describe you?
- What are the most positive things about your life?
- What’s one thing that always cheers you up?
- What is your best physical quality?
- What have you learned from past mistakes?
- Name one quality you have that makes life better for those around you
- What intimidates you?
- How can you practice positive self-talk?
- Write about your dream life
- What’s something you can do that your future self will be grateful for?
Related: Journaling prompts to get to know yourself better
Final thoughts
Self-esteem is one of the most important aspects of living a happy and successful life. In the article, we have explored what self-esteem is and 34 prompts you can use to improve it.
I hope you gained something from the article and are ready to improve your self-esteem. Your future self will be grateful for it.
What to read about next
- Week 52 log – 2025 - December 28, 2025
- Systems – Build the structure that makes growth sustainable - December 26, 2025
- Week 51 log – 2025 - December 20, 2025