Research shows how journalling helps your wellbeing. Remember those days when we used to use pen and paper? You’d scribble notes, doodles, love poems, and diary entries into your special journal. You’d enjoy it and it would make you feel more connected to yourself. Sometimes, writing in first-person format (“I”) was the way to go. Other times second-person format (“You”) and even third-person (“She”) did the magic. Either way, there was something about writing that helped you to feel less alone, less anxious, and better about whatever situation you were faced with. That’s no surprise as there is a whole science behind writing some notes of encouragement for yourself.

Here are some that you might enjoy. 1. You are doing the best you can. Really, you are. You’re doing the best you can with the knowledge you have. Nobody can expect anything more than that. Including you. Remember this. 2. You are enough. You are more than enough. Exactly as you are. You don’t have to get that promotion, reach that goal weight, or find the one to marry in order to be enough. You are more than enough exactly the way you are. 3. Its ok to have good days and bad days. It’s ok to feel good one day and bad the other. Not even Wonder Woman or Superman wins every battle. They just know to get back up and try again tomorrow. 4. Its ok to feel whatever it is that you’re feeling. The good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly. That’s a part of being human. You’ve been given the gift of feeling emotions. Accept them as they are and cherish the fact that you can feel them. Life is a wild rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. Enjoy it. 5. Just breathe. Take a deep breath. And another one. Focusing on taking deep breaths is meditative and calming for your whole nervous system, both body and mind. When in doubt, just breathe. 6. “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” These beautiful words are by Winnie the Pooh author A. A. Milne. They are words of truth. 7. You’ve got this. Even if you think you don’t, you do. Because even if you fail, you learn from it. Even if things don’t go to plan, you grow from it. Whatever happens, you can handle it. 8. You are loved. No matter where you are or who you are, you are loved. You are so much more loved than you think. 9. Every storm passes. Even if you can’t see the end, the storm will end. It is a law of nature. Now it’s your turn to have a go. Write down the words of encouragement that you want to give yourself right now. Put them on a post-it note and stick it on your bathroom mirror. Write them on a postcard and put it on your fridge door. Write them on a page of your journal and put it on your bedside table. Write whatever it is that you need to hear right now and believe in those words. Believe in them and feel the calming effect they bring.