February is the perfect month to write your way through 28 days of self-love journaling prompts. With Valentine’s Day and Galentine’s Day on the horizon, February is a month that’s all about love. And it’s my favorite month because it’s also my birthday month and Black History Month.

While we spend much of February focusing on our love for others – from best friends to romantic partners – we must be careful not to neglect self-love along the way.

Self-Love Journaling in Dark Times

Thinking about self-love may feel selfish when hard things are happening in your life, and dark things are happening in the world. But it’s at times like these that self-care is most crucial. When you take good care of yourself, you have the capacity to take better care of others in your family, your friend group, and your community. Furthermore, as Suleika Jaouad writes in The Book of Alchemy, “If you’re in conversation with the self, you can be in conversation with the world.” (For more on journaling to love yourself and your neighbor better, join me for the Love & Legacy Journaling Challenge this month.)

Journaling & Self-Love

Can you write your way to self-love? I’ve been pondering this question a lot. In recent years, I have fallen in love with myself, and it’s made such a difference in every area of my life – including how I show up for others. A friend who could see my self-love glow wanted to know my secret. Telling her I journaled my way to self-love felt trite, even lame, but it was the truth – sort of.

My self-love journey started in my journal, but it didn’t end there. I used my journal to shift my mindset, but also to plot and plan the actions I needed to take to take better care of myself.

Self-care is self-love in action. Not only is the simple act of journaling an act of self-care (research has shown that journaling just 15 minutes a day can improve mental health and overall wellness), but in your journal, you can figure out ways to take your self-care to the next level. The prompts below are designed to help you do both.

Happy journaling!

February Self-Love Journal Prompts

  • How do you define self-love? How do you define self-care?
  • How can you show up for yourself as you do for your family and friends?
  • How do you feel right now and why? What are you going to do about it?
  • Write about a lesson you learned from a past mistake, heartbreak or hard time.
  • What boundaries do you need to set at work and with family and friends?
  • What are you most grateful for right now? List as many things as you can.
  • What accomplishments – big and small – are you most proud of?
  • How have you grown in the past 5 years?
  • What dream do you want to chase in the next 5 years?
  • Write a letter to your inner critic. (Here’s some inspiration to help you out.)
  • What’s your love language, and how can you use this knowledge to love yourself better?
  • Write about the spiritual practices that nourish your soul most.
  • Write about your favorite creative outlet.
  • What are your favorite foods? What foods make you feel satisfied and well-nourished?
  • What morning routine and evening routine would bring more peace to your life?
  •  What habits do you need to adopt to become the person you want to be?
  • List healthy ways you can decompress at the end of each day.
  • What’s your favorite way to move your body? How does it make you feel?
  •  Write a love letter to your body, thanking it for all it does to keep you alive.
  • Write an apology letter and a note of gratitude to a body part you’ve disliked in the past.
  •  What does your body need most right now?
  •  I forgive my body for….
  •  Write a letter of forgiveness to someone who hurt you.
  • Write a letter of forgiveness to yourself for past mistakes.
  • Imagine you’re having lunch with your younger self. What would you two discuss?
  •  When do you feel most like your authentic self?
  • When do you feel most at peace? How can you cultivate more peace in your life?
  • List 3 promises you need to make to yourself (and keep) to cultivate more self-love.

If you’re looking for a community of writers to keep you encouraged as you build your journaling practice, join the See Jane Write Network Facebook group.