Note to Self: a journey to self healing
Josephine Tov
for _________________________ ’s eyes only. today’s date: ________ /________ /________
date: ______ /______ /______
Hi there! Just wanted to say a few words before you move further. I want to reassure you that however you are feeling is ok. It’s ok to be sad or mad or anxious or confused. We’ve all been through it at some point in our lives. Whatever it is that’s keeping you up at night, this journal is a safe space for you and whoever you wish to share it with. Focus solely on your truth. The things you couldn’t say. The secrets you’ll never tell. The things you know but refuse to admit. And when you’re all done, you can decide to burn this journal, or a page or two. Release yourself of these feelings that have weighed so heavy on your heart and mind. This is your raw and unfiltered journey in getting through this temporary pain. Remember, you are the most permanent thing in your life. So choose you. <3 And in case you haven’t heard it today,
I’m so proud of you.
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date: ______ /______ /______ These first pages are for you to write a letter to yourself as if you are writing to your best friend. This is just for you, don’t worry. Describe your life right now – your daily routines, aspirations, dislikes, desires – whatever you’re feeling. Save these pages to look back on throughout your journey.
Dear me,
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Love, me 4
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e
hip you
th
a re l
s tion
ha
ve
wit
urself h yo affects all the others.
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date: ______ /______ /______ Why do I want to start this journal?
What do I hope to get out of it?
What do I want to accomplish?
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date: ______ /______ /______ How am I feeling today?
What would make today better?
Three affirmations for myself: 1. 2. 3.
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date: ______ /______ /______ Throughout this journal, as well as at the end, there are pages of free space purely dedicated to whatever you wish to use them for– doodles, notes, journal entries, etc.
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PAST
My earliest memory is
I’d describe my childhood as
Home to me is
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(person, place, thing, feeling, anything)
date: ______ /______ /______ The happiest I’ve ever been was
The best day of my life was
What happiness looks like to me
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date: ______ /______ /______ The most dramatic thing to ever happen to me
Someday, all of this will make perfect sense. So for now, feel the things that you want to feel and to do the things that make Something continue I will never forgive you happy. If it needs to fall apart, let it. But remember to pick yourself up and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.
Something I regret
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date: ______ /______ /______ The craziest thing I’ve ever done was
Five things I have done but will never do again are 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Why not? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 13
date: ______ /______ /______ The hardest decision I’ve ever had to make
The dumbest decision I’ve ever made
The best decision I’ve ever made
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date: ______ /______ /______
PICK ME UP Use this page as a reference for things to do when you feel down. What makes you feel better on bad days? This can include anything from your grandma’s signature cookie recipe to songs that you scream in the shower to crafts that you lose track of time making.
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date: ______ /______ /______ A life-changing experience that made me into the person I am today
Remember a time that was particularly difficult. In what ways am I now thankful that event occurred? In what ways could I find the positive in life’s challenges?
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date: ______ /______ /______ When was the last time I had a really hard day? What happened?
What helped me the most in getting through it?
In what ways has this experience helped me grow? Did I learn anything new about myself?
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date: ______ /______ /______ My greatest heartbreak
How did this affect me?
Something I wish I did differently while healing
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date: ______ /______ /______ The last time I said “I love you” was
The last time someone told me “I love you” was
Have I ever said “I love you” to myself?
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date: ______ /______ /______
STICKY AFFIRMATIONS
Get a small stack of sticky notes and write “I love you” on the first one. Write down two more affirmations for yourself on separate sticky notes. Place these all around your mirror and read them out loud to yourself. Add a new sticky note as frequently as you’d like, but always make sure to read it to yourself in the mirror.
I am capable.
I am worthy of good things that happen to me.
I love you.
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date: ______ /______ /______ When have I felt most understood?
When have I felt most misunderstood?
What did I do about it? What do I wish I could have done differently?
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date: ______ /______ /______ Baggage I carry
A list of assumptions people have made about me: Why do you think people assumed these things? Are any of them true?
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date: ______ /______ /______ The hardest thing I’ve ever done
If I could do it again, I would change
The most important thing I learned from this experience
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The universe will
never
give you more than you can handle.
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RAPID FIRE Check the boxes that apply to you.
I have been in love
run away
broken a bone
had a bonfire
given blood
gotten married
gotten a massage
driven a golf cart
ridden in an ambulance
cleared my browser history
got my card declined
written my will
gone surfing
showered with someone
met someone famous
been a bridesmaid/ best man
been on a diet
given a speech
had cosmetic surgery
cheated on someone
dated long distance
peed in the woods
gotten a piercing
gotten pulled over
seen a ghost
flown in a helicopter
dived off a high board
bleached my hair
won a competition
gone skydiving
gone camping
thrown up from drinking
gotten a bad tattoo
broken an expensive item
smoked a cigarette
gotten kicked out of a store
compared horiscopes
gone to a rave
turned someone down
dated someone twice
recited a poem
been to a spa 29
date: ______ /______ /______
RAPID FIRE Continued
I have
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failed a test
driven a boat
been on a double date
made a charcuterie board
done an escape room
gone viral on social media
kissed a stranger
had a pen pal
been on TV
earned a college degree
watched the sun rise
done the splits
planted a tree
been to a trampoline park
used a paper map
lied to a doctor
handwritten a love letter
cried in a bathroom stall
vaped
saved someone’s life
sung karaoke
fired a gun
stayed out all night
failed a driving test
hiked up a mountain
had a tarot card reading
danced on a pole
purchased a hydroflask
changed a car tire
broken someone’s heart
lost a bet
gotten in an accident
been to a music festival
chipped a tooth
ridden a mechanical bull
had a 9 to 5 job
faked it
had boba
ran a marathon
lost my keys
been given a promise ring
gotten a COVID-19 vaccine
date: ______ /______ /______
go
let that shit
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date: ______ /______ /______ A confession I have is
A list of things I am happy to let go of:
• • • • • • • • • • 32
date: ______ /______ /______ Just as the first pages of this journal were, these next few pages are for you to write a letter to yourself. This time, make it out to your younger self. What would you have told yourself knowing what you do now?
Dear younger me,
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date: ______ /______ /______
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Love, me
date: ______ /______ /______
CHECK IN How am I doing on this journey so far? Have I learned anything new about myself? Is there anything I want to dive deeper into?
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date: ______ /______ /______ My biggeest inspiration is
PRESENT
What am I grateful for?
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date: ______ /______ /______ My favorite photo in my phone describe, sketch, or paste it below and describe what it means
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date: ______ /______ /______ Things that bring me happiness
Things that make me laugh
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date: ______ /______ /______
Find your yellow
when you’re feeling blue.
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date: ______ /______ /______ People I love
Why I love them
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date: ______ /______ /______ People that love me
How I know they love me
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date: ______ /______ /______ One thing I’d like to change about myself is
A relationship I would like to mend
If I could erase any single day of my life, it would be
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date: ______ /______ /______ If my life was a book, what would it be called? What chapter would I be in right now?
What chapter would I like to be in?
How can I get there?
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date: ______ /______ /______ days passed
now
days ahead
stay here
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date: ______ /______ /______
Something good that happened yesterday
Something good that happened today
Something that I look forward to tomorrow
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date: ______ /______ /______ What do I need to hear right now?
What do I want to hear right now?
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date: ______ /______ /______ What do I need in my life?
What do I want in my life?
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date: ______ /______ /______
PROGRESS CHART Growth, like progress, is non-linear. It has ups and downs, but regardless you are still moving forward. Over the next month, refer back to this page and connect dots to illustrate your progress. The better you feel, the higher the dot should be and vice versa, still moving forward each time.
always forward
:))
://
:((
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>
date: ______ /______ /______
How happy am I with my life right now? 0
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2
3
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5
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circle one
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10
How can I make this a 10?
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How in control of my life do I feel right now? 0
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2
3
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How can I make this a 10?
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circle one
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do
ou b u r n y rs e lf o ut t ’ . n
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date: ______ /______ /______ Dear best friend,
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Love, your best friend
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If you wouldn’t say it to a friend,
please don’t say it to yourself.
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date: ______ /______ /______ The key to staying positive does not mean you have to be happy all the time. It means that even on hard days, you know there are still better ones coming.
hard days
better days
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The hardest thing I’ve ever done
If I could do it again, I would change
The most important thing I learned from this experience
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date: ______ /______ /______
The happiest I’ve ever been was
Someday, all of this will make perfect sense. So for now, feel the things that you want to feel and The best day of my life was continue to do the things that make you happy. If it needs to fall apart, let it. But remember to pick yourself up and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.
The most important thing I learned from this experience
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