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: ______ /______ /______
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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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
e
hip you
th
a re l
s tion
ha
ve
wit
urself h yo affects all the others.
Love, me 4
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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
Why do I want to start this journal?
How am I feeling today?
What do I hope to get out of it?
What would make today better?
What do I want to accomplish?
Three affirmations for myself: 1. 2. 3.
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date: ______ /______ /______
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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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date: ______ /______ /______
PAST
My earliest memory is
I’d describe my childhood as
Home to me is
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date: ______ /______ /______ The happiest I’ve ever been was
The best day of my life was
(person, place, thing, feeling, anything)
What happiness looks like to me
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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
The most dramatic thing to ever happen to me
The craziest thing I’ve ever done was
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.
Five things I have done but will never do again are 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Something I regret
Why not? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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date: ______ /______ /______ The hardest decision I’ve ever had to make
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.
The dumbest decision I’ve ever made
The best decision I’ve ever made
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date: ______ /______ /______
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: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
When was the last time I had a really hard day? What happened?
My greatest heartbreak
What helped me the most in getting through it?
How did this affect me?
In what ways has this experience helped me grow? Did I learn anything new about myself?
Something I wish I did differently while healing
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date: ______ /______ /______ The last time I said “I love you” was
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. The last time someone told me “I love you” was
I am worthy of good things that happen to me.
Have I ever said “I love you” to myself?
I love you.
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date: ______ /______ /______ When have I felt most understood?
date: ______ /______ /______ Baggage I carry
When have I felt most misunderstood?
A list of assumptions people have made about me: Why do you think people assumed these things? Are any of them true?
What did I do about it? What do I wish I could have done differently?
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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
The hardest thing I’ve ever done
The universe will
If I could do it again, I would change
never
The most important thing I learned from this experience
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give you more than you can handle.
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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
RAPID FIRE Check the boxes that apply to you.
I have
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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: ______ /______ /______
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
go
let that shit
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date: ______ /______ /______ A confession I have is
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,
A list of things I am happy to let go of:
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date: ______ /______ /______
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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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Love, me
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date: ______ /______ /______ My biggeest inspiration is
PRESENT
date: ______ /______ /______ My favorite photo in my phone describe, sketch, or paste it below and describe what it means
What am I grateful for?
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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
Things that bring me happiness
Things that make me laugh
Find your yellow
when you’re feeling blue.
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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
People I love
People that love me
Why I love them
How I know they love me
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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
One thing I’d like to change about myself is
If my life was a book, what would it be called? What chapter would I be in right now?
A relationship I would like to mend
What chapter would I like to be in?
If I could erase any single day of my life, it would be
How can I get there?
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date: ______ /______ /______ days passed
now
date: ______ /______ /______ days ahead
Something good that happened yesterday
Something good that happened today
stay here
Something that I look forward to tomorrow
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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
What do I need to hear right now?
What do I need in my life?
What do I want to hear right now?
What do I want in my life?
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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
PROGRESS CHART
How happy am I with my life right now?
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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circle one
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10
>
How can I make this a 10? ://
:((
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date: ______ /______ /______
date: ______ /______ /______
How in control of my life do I feel right now? 0
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circle one
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do
ou b u r n y rs e lf o ut t ’ . n
How can I make this a 10?
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Dear best friend,
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Love, your best friend
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date: ______ /______ /______
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
If you wouldn’t say it to a friend,
better days
please don’t say it to yourself.
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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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date: ______ /______ /______
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