How to Start a Self-Care Journal (When You’re Busy, Tired, or Over It)

Self-care doesn’t have to be complicated.
You don’t need a perfect planner or two free hours you don’t have. I’ve made those mistakes too many times.
Self-care can be one page, one line, one breath, and it can still change how you move through your day.

That’s what a self-care journal is for: not aesthetic perfection, but presence. A place to stop abandoning yourself, even for 90 seconds.

I’ll show you how to start from scratch, not overwhelm, how to keep it tiny and doable, and how to use it to actually feel better—not just track another thing.

What a Self-Care Journal Really Is (in my world)

A self-care journal is a small, honest landing pad where you:

Plan one or two micro-acts of care for today
Track what actually happened (without shame)
Reflect for one minute so your nervous system learns: I’m here. I keep my promises to me.

That’s it. Plan → Track → Reflect.
Tiny, tangible, usable.

Before You Start: Pick Your One Focus

Trying to overhaul your whole life will make you quit by Thursday. Choose one priority for the next 7–14 days:

Body (sleep, water, meds, nourishment, movement)
Nervous System (90-second resets, breath, going outside)
Boundaries (delayed yes, “not today,” smaller yes)
Spirit/Meaning (gratitude line, prayer, poem, one beautiful thing)

You can’t do everything. You can do one thing well.

Bite-Sized Rule: if it takes more than 5 minutes, it’s two steps.

The Three-Part Self-Care Journal (Simple Framework)

1) Plan (1–2 minutes)

Write today’s tiny plan:

Must-Care (1): the smallest thing that would support me
Maybe-Care (1): a bonus if I have energy
Boundary (1): where I’ll pause, delay, or shrink a yes

Example:

Must-Care: 3 breaths before I touch my phone
Maybe-Care: step outside for 60 seconds
Boundary: “I’ll get back to you tomorrow”

2) Track (30 seconds)

What do you need to track?

Water?
Breaks?
Deep breaths?
Movement?

3) Reflect (1 minute)

One honest line:

“What helped?”
“Where did I ghost myself?”
“What tiny shift would make tomorrow easier?”

This is not about being perfect. It’s about not abandoning you.

A Journalette Version (one page, foldable)

If you love tiny tools (hi, welcome), fold a single sheet into a Journalette and use these panels for the next 7 days:

Page 1 (Cover): The Tiny Self-Care Journal
Page 2: Today’s Must-Care
Page 3: Today’s Maybe-Care
Page 4: One Boundary I’ll Hold
Page 5: 90-Second Reset I’ll Try
Page 6: Track – what do I need to track today? (water, movement, deep breaths, breaks, or something else)
Page 7: One-Line Reflection
Page 8 (Back): “Even 90 seconds can bring me back.”

One page. One fold. One truth a day. Finishable.

You can also download this Journalette from the Self-Care Library. You’ll only need to fold it, but the prompts will already be in the Journalette.

Here’s a video showing how to fold your Journalette:

xxxxVIDEO

Bite-Sized Self-Care Activities (pick 1–2)

For Your Body

Drink a full glass of water before your phone
Stretch for 3 minutes
Eat one nourishing thing you planned
Take your meds/supplements on time

For Your Nervous System

The nervous system is your body’s built-in stress and safety detector.
It decides in the background whether you feel calm, anxious, or on edge. Most of your self-care practices are really about teaching your nervous system that it’s safe enough to rest, reset, and return to yourself.

3-Breath Reset: in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4 (x3) [This is The Box Breathing Method]
Grounding: feet on the floor; notice 3 things you see/hear/feel
Step outside and feel the air for 60 seconds
Whisper: “I’m allowed to rest.”

For Boundaries

Replace instant yes with: “I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”
“Yes, but smaller.” (shrink the ask)
“Not today.” (period is a full sentence)

For Spirit/Meaning

Write one line of gratitude (be specific)
Copy a sentence from a poem or prayer
Note one beautiful thing you noticed

If it feels heavy, shrink it. If it still feels heavy, change it.

What to Track (without turning into a spreadsheet)

Keep it simple. Choose 3–5 items max:

Water ✔︎
Movement/Stretch ✔︎
Outside/Light ✔︎
Reset ✔︎
Boundary ✔︎

Add a tiny notes line: “Guilt showed up at 2pm → took 3 breaths.”
(Data is helpful. Shame is not.)

Make It Yours (without making it a production)

You can decorate with washi tape, doodle, letter headings—play is medicine.
But you don’t need supplies to start. You need a pen and a scrap of paper.

The goal is you being present. That’s it. Don’t overdo it by trying to create pretty pages or perfect writing.

A 7-Day Mini Self-Care Starter (use this exactly as written or tweak it as you choose)

Day 1: Take 3 intional breaths (notice them) and set the intention for today (or the remainder of the day).

What are you breathing in? What are you breathing out? (For example, breathing in love, breathing out fear)

Writing prompt: “Today I choose to breath in _________ and breathe out_________.”

Day 2: What boundary will you hold today? Maybe a boundary at work or with a loved one? (if you struggle with boundaries, check out my guide on boundary setting).
Day 3: Decide to take notice of how your body feels today. At the end of the day, write a few lines reflecting on it.
Day 4: Stretch for 3 minutes. Note one place your body softened. Write a few lines about it.
Day 5: Gratitude line. Something small, specific, real.

Day 6: Step outside for 60 seconds if you can (if you can’t look outside a window). Then, write two lines on what you saw outside. Focus and really notice.

Day 7: Review your week: What helped? What was too big? What will you repeat?

If you miss a day, you’re still here. Begin again.

More Prompts If You’re Stuck

“Right now I notice…” (3 sensory details)
“One thing I need but haven’t asked for…”
“Where did I abandon myself today?”
“How can I return, even a little?”
“What could be 1% smaller and still count?”

Why This Works (the quiet science under the softness)

Your nervous system learns by repetition.
Each tiny self-care act is a proof point: I can return to myself.
Small creates safety. Safety creates consistency. Consistency creates change.

Big plans often fail. Bite-sized care sticks.

When You Want to Quit (because you will)

Shrink it (90 seconds counts)
Swap it (choose a different act)
Stack it (attach to something you already do: after tea → 3 breaths)
Ask for help (text a friend: “Please ask if I did my water + breath today.”)

Not quitting doesn’t mean doing it perfectly. It means coming back.

The Start a Self-Care Journal Today

Start your journal.

Make it tiny if that helps. Make it true.
One plan, one checkmark, one honest line.

If you want a one-page foldable tiny journal with the prompts laid out, grab a free Journalette in my Self-Care Library

You don’t need an hour. You just need a minute.
Even 90 seconds can bring you back.

P.S. If you want deeper, compassionate support, my Reset Calls are two powerful sessions to help you stop abandoning yourself and build boundaries you can actually live with.

Updated: August 31st, 2025