I feel guilty taking me-time. How can I journal through that guilt so I can actually feel restored?

Try a short, two-part entry. 1) Name the belief: “If I rest, ____ might happen.” Write down the worst-case story your mind tells. 2) Test it with stoic framing: What’s in my control (my choices, boundaries, compassion) vs. not (others’ reactions, outcomes)? End with one line: “Rest supports me by ____.” In Stoic, respond to today’s prompt and keep it brief. Revisit tomorrow and note how your mood, energy, or patience shifted after even a small pause. You’re practicing alignment, not selfishness.

I’m not sure what kind of me-time truly restores me. How do I figure it out from my past experiences?

Do a quick restoration audit. 1) List 3 moments you recently felt lighter or more yourself. 2) For each, jot: What was I doing? With/without people? Time of day? Length? Sensory feel (quiet, nature, movement)? 3) Circle common threads—e.g., “unstructured,” “low screens,” “gentle movement,” “outdoors.” 4) Write a one-sentence recipe: “Restorative me-time = [ingredient 1] + [ingredient 2] for ~[time].” Use the Stoic prompt to capture this recipe and test one ingredient this week, then note how you feel after.

My schedule is packed. How can I design small, restorative me-time that actually works for me?

Work with tight constraints. In your journal, define: 1) Duration you can reliably keep (5, 10, or 15 minutes). 2) One purpose word (calm, clarity, reset). 3) One action that fits your energy (still: breathing, reading; active: walk, stretch; sensory: shower, music). 4) One boundary (phone in another room, headphones on, door closed). Write a mini-plan like: “10 mins, clarity, slow walk, no phone.” In Stoic, log how you felt before and after. If it helps, repeat; if not, swap one variable. Treat it as an experiment, not a test.

Journaling Idea - On Me Time.

What kind of me-time makes you feel completely restored?

Looking back at moments when you felt lighter, steadier, or more like yourself, what made those moments restorative? How can you create more of them?

Journal in Stoic

Written by

Natalia Łobodzińska

Published on

Jan 9, 2026

Journal in Stoic

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Natalia Łobodzińska

Head of Content at stoic.

Natalia oversees all content inside the Stoic app — from guided journals to daily prompts. She works closely with therapists and writers to make sure every word helps users reflect and grow. She also manages translations to keep the experience thoughtful and consistent across languages.

What kind of me-time makes you feel completely restored?

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