Why Creating an Affirmation Journal is a Smart Idea

Several months ago now, I had the idea to create an affirmation journal. I wanted to record affirmation statements in a journal as a way to uplift myself when I am struggling emotionally. Which, you know, happens. Sometimes it’s just a bad day, sometimes it’s a period of poor mental health. And affirmations are powerful in changing your self talk so I thought have a little journal to easily refer to would be a smart idea. Plus, it’d be fun to create!

In this post, I want to outline the steps I took in creating this journal and share with you some of the powerful affirmations I included in my journal.

What are Affirmations?

I want to briefly outline what an affirmation is. An affirmation is a positive statement designed to help you rid negative, self sabotaging thoughts. The idea of practicing affirmations is accepted in psychological theory but it’s important to note that you need to practice affirmation regularly to reap the benefits–that is, make long lasting changes to the way you think and feel. You can read more about the science behind positive daily affirmations here.

Choosing My Affirmation Journal

Now, the notebook I chose for my affirmation journal was one I debated over a bit. I have several unused notebooks and all of them would have made lovely journals, but the one I chose is just perfect to be an affirmation journal. It’s small, so I could carry it with me in my purse or bag, and also, it’s unlined so I could really get creative when recording the affirmations as well. Plus, just look at it. This is a style of notebook I’ve always wanted–there is something so old world and timeless and classic about this style that just makes my heart sing–and a few years ago my best friend bought me this little journal. It’s a style we have both always coveted so I was over the moon that she would gift one to me. I never knew exactly what to use this stunning journal for, and I did begin to use it one year to record happy memories, but never continued with that project. So I cut out those pages and started fresh!

Affirmations I’ve Recorded so Far

I recorded affirmations that spoke to me and promote confidence and self love. I also decided to be creative and use different colour markers to write out the statements, and tried to use nice calligraphy print although I am not apt at this skill. I hope to get more competent but it’ll likely take some time. My plan for this journal is to record one or two affirmations to help change my self talk from negative to much more positive. To be honest, I don’t believe I have a great deal of negative self talk, which I think might be one of the advantages of being a woman in my forties–age grants you a certain amount of self acceptance; but everyone can benefit from practicing daily affirmations which is why I’ve started this journal.

Express Yourself Creatively

I am really enjoying the process of creating this affirmation journal as not only am I seeking out powerful statements to include in my journal, but I can be creative in doing so, and creative expression is another great way to support your mental health. I use a variety of coloured markers, I have stickers I’m including as well, I have even drawn a little in the journal. I am trying to practice calligraphy but I’m brand new to this, so I don’t yet have the skill and really, I need proper calligraphy pens as well as the ones I do have aren’t great (for me) and make learning this skill a slow process. Stickers, stamps, your own illustrations are all fabulous ways to express yourself in this journal and really own your affirmations. All in all, I think creating an affirmation journal is a smart idea.

Would you create an affirmation journal ? How do you practice positive thinking? Share in the comments below and be sure to subscribe to the newsletter for freebies.