Hi everyone! I’m Nina (@diarybynina) from the Archer and Olive Ambassador Team (@archerandolive), and today I’m here to talk with you about something incredibly important, real, and gentle: journaling as a self-care ritual.
We usually think of journaling as something strictly “productive”: habit trackers, daily planning, organization…But journaling can also become emotional rest, a breathing space, a slow moment in the middle of life’s chaos, a place where you can feel safe.
Life can be loud and exhausting, confusing, or extremely fast. Writing can be your moment of rest, and it can hold you when you need support.
Supplies
Remember you can use my code: NINIS10 to get 10% off!
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Notebook
You can use any size of journal. In my case, I used the material I found in the December subscription box. -
Stamps, pens, stickers, etc.
Feel free to use any decorative elements that help you express the best version of your journal.
Journaling is not about perfection
You don’t have to write full chapters, poetic paragraphs, or have perfect handwriting.
Journaling as a ritual is more sincere than that (although if you want to do it that way, that’s perfectly fine, just pleeease don’t pressure yourself).
You can start with, one sentence, a few words, maybe doodles, or your thoughts, or just scribbles. How you feel is more important than how the page looks or how much you write.
Some days you’ll have a lot to say.
Other days it will be incredibly hard to write anything.
Both are valid. Both are healthy.
Your goal is to relax and listen to yourself, not to be a productivity machine.
Turn your journal into a self-care ritual
Sometimes habits feel like pressure… right? So what if we think of journaling as a ritual instead? That sounds comforting.
When you add gentle, cozy elements, journaling becomes a safe moment you can look forward to and actually maintain:
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A candle
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Soft music
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A warm drink (or cold, if you prefer)
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A comfy corner just for you
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Stickers, stamps, a pen you love, your favorite notebook
So, just one deep breath… and write.
These small details say:
“This is your safe space. You can rest here.”
Your notebook is not here to judge you, only to listen.
Writing gives your emotions a home
Sometimes we don’t understand how we feel until we write it down. If everything stays inside your head, emotions start to explode just to escape but on paper, it’s like stepping out into an open field after being locked in a small room for weeks.
It can help you let go of tension, notice patterns you didn’t see before, calm those racing thoughts that show up at the worst moment, make sense of sadness or anxiety, celebrate the good days, and learn from the messy ones. A blank page is literally a friend with zero expectations. As I said before, it just listens.
When writing feels difficult…
There will be days when your mind feels tired, heavy, or just empty. Days when journaling could help you, but also feels impossible.
So here are a few gentle prompts for those moments:
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“Right now, I feel…”
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“Today I had no energy because…”
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“One thing that made me smile today was…”
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“What I need right now is…”
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“I’m proud of myself because…”
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“One thing I’m grateful for is…”
Even one word counts.
One sentence counts.
A printable that can help you
To make this easier, I created a simple printable you can add to your journal. It has everything I think you might need when you want to start writing during a hard moment.
Use it when you feel overwhelmed, when you don’t know what to say, or when you need to come back to yourself.
Final reminder
Journaling is not a performance! You don’t have to follow a checklist or prove something to the world. It’s a safe place for your feelings when they have nowhere else to go.
If you feel confused, exhausted, or disconnected, just slow down, open a page, breathe, and write a little. Your mind deserves rest.
Your emotions deserve kindness.
If you decide to use the printable, I would love to see your cozy pages.
Tag @archerandolive and @diarybynina, it makes my heart so happy to see your rituals come to life.
#AOshare #archerandolive
One page at a time, one thought at a time, you deserve peace.
In this video, you will find inspiration:
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