---
title: "Journaling ~rompts"
tags:
created: 2024-09-22 21:23
---

# Journaling Prompts

![[How to Start Journaling#^363cd8]]

![[7 Intentional Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day#^029f29]]

![[11 Life-Changing Journaling Tips for Beginners#^05df43]]

![[11 Life-Changing Journaling Tips for Beginners#^ce92d8]]

![[11 Life-Changing Journaling Tips for Beginners#^ffddd6]]

![[11 Life-Changing Journaling Tips for Beginners#^4d6f9f]]

## Head full of thoughts, anxious, stressed, or an unknown feeling

### [[7 Mindful Journaling Prompts to Calm an Anxious Mind#^69db00|What I'm feeling right now?]]

Once you start writing, **don’t stop until you feel there is nothing else to
write**. This means you should write everything down, even if you begin to veer
away from the prompt. Don’t pay any mind to spelling mistakes, your handwriting
and don’t edit what ends up on the page. Just write it all out.

### [[7 Mindful Journaling Prompts to Calm an Anxious Mind#^27b8e0|Where Am I Right Now?]]

The 5-4-3-2-1 coping technique for anxiety attacks is all about bringing your attention back to the now. In your journal, write the following:

• Five things that you see
• Four things that you can touch
• Three things that you can hear
• Two things that you can smell
• One thing that you can taste

### [[6 Morning Journal Prompts That Will Transform Your Day#^80fb8d|How do I want to feel when I go to bed tonight?]]

Whenever you’re in a rut, a morning journaling exploration of **how you want to feel (rather than what you want to achieve)** is a great first step to lifting your mood.

To do this, start by imagining that you’re in bed at the end of the day and you’re about to close your eyes. Take a deep breath and then exhale. How do you want to feel at that moment?

Instead of saying happy, you could write down that you want to feel accomplished or connected. Take things a step further by brainstorming simple actions that will support you.

### [[6 Morning Journal Prompts That Will Transform Your Day#^44f8db|What season of life am I in?]]

We all have times when we feel **overwhelmed by the weight of our responsibilities**. There’s so much that we want to do and be—but never enough time to get it all done.

think about your own life and ask yourself, _“What season am I in?”_:

- Are you in a season of caring for others?
- A season of resting while you heal from physical or emotional trauma?
- A season of growth in your career or professional life?

> [!info]
> When working through this journal prompt, ask yourself if you need rest, if you need to work, if you need to spend time with family or friends, or if you need to be alone right now.

### [[6 Morning Journal Prompts That Will Transform Your Day#^b6b0bd|Write it all out]]

The idea behind **free-writing** is just as it sounds: you simply write out all of your thoughts without editing until there is nothing left.

I find that it’s powerful because it allows your brain to unload without expectations. It’s a bit like ranting to a friend after a long day—sometimes you just need to get things off your chest, and then you can move on.

### [[7 Intentional Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day#^3b92eb|Is there a simpler way?]]

When I’m faced with a problem or a task, I’ve noticed that **my first instinct is to overthink things** and make the situation way more complicated than it needs to be.

Taking just five minutes to ask the question and look for a simpler way has saved me countless hours throughout my life. (And I’ll also admit that sometimes it happens in reverse —I’d spend hours doing something and then realises I made it harder than need be!)

## Worried about something or feeling negative

### [[Readwise/7 Mindful Journaling Prompts to Calm an Anxious Mind#^beb82a|What Am I Afraid Of?]]

To journal through your fears, start by writing them out one at a time. Ask
yourself what are the worse case scenarios, how they might affect you, and what
you would do. Ask yourself how likely it is to happen, why you think it might
happen, whether its occurrence would be positive or negative and why.

Allowing your fears to play out in your journal helps to **challenge the
legitimacy of these fears**. It’s also a chance to discover **how you would address
them**, which can make you feel more prepared.

### [[7 Mindful Journaling Prompts to Calm an Anxious Mind#^3608de|Why Do I Feel Unwell?]]

When I’m so overwhelmed that I can’t think about how to care for myself, I turn to my journal. **I start with the line ‘I feel unwell because…’ and let my thoughts flow. Answering this question leads me to discover what I need** (whether it be rest, connection, or creative expression). By delving into why I feel unwell, I learn what I can do about it, which improves how I care for myself.


### [[7 Mindful Journaling Prompts to Calm an Anxious Mind#^a59479|How Can This Moment Inform My Future]]

⁠⁠Taking time to acknowledge our mistakes, understand why they occurred, and think about how we can make better choices in the future is healthy.⁠⁠

Mistakes are inevitable and mindfully working through them helps us accept them as part of life and let go of perfectionism.

### [[7 Mindful Journaling Prompts to Calm an Anxious Mind#^fc98ae|I Am Lucky To…]]

Gratitude is one of the healthiest emotions to sit with. It has the power to **shift your mindset from scarcity to abundance**, which can be helpful when you’re feeling stressed or just plain having a bad day.

try reflecting on:

- A favourite memory
- Your own strengths
- Song lyrics or a list of favourite songs
- Your greatest lessons
- Your biggest supporter
- How you overcame a negative experience in the past

### [[6 Morning Journal Prompts That Will Transform Your Day#^656f82|Today I am excited to...]]

We are hard-wired to focus more on the negative things in life than the positive things. So how can we overcome this? By putting **extra attention on the positive** in the morning and throughout the day as well.

> [!info]
> If you’re struggling to feel excited, **try getting your senses involved**. Imagine a warm cup of coffee pressed between your palms, the sound of the birds on your way to work, the sun shining on your skin—and see if it doesn’t change the way you feel.

### [[6 Morning Journal Prompts That Will Transform Your Day#^e92888|Today I get to...]]

**When you don't want to do what you need to do.** Think about things that you have to do today and see if you can re-frame your thoughts about the situation.

> [!info]
> Don’t forget to acknowledge if you are currently living out a past goal or dream!

### [[6 Morning Journal Prompts That Will Transform Your Day#^44a1a6|I am challenged by…]]

There’s a productivity saying, _‘[[eat the frog]]’_ that loosely applies to this journaling prompt. The meaning behind it is that **you should do the most difficult thing on your to-do list first**.

By making your challenges the focus of your morning journal prompt, you’re ‘eating the frog’ but in a more mindful way. When you write about what challenges you, it is helpful to explore **why and how you will overcome the challenge**, but you should also write out **what it will mean to you or your life**.

If those words don’t ring true to your situation, you may need to re-evaluate whether the challenge fits with your values and goals.

## Cannot stop thinking about someone

### [[7 Mindful Journaling Prompts to Calm an Anxious Mind#^c261c4|Write A Letter That You’ll Never Send]]

Address the letter to the person you need or want to talk to and **say everything you want to say**. This prompt will help you organice your thoughts and feelings about this person. You can also **be as honest as you need** because you’re never going to send the letter.

You can write to:

- Your future self
- Your younger self
- To someone who is no longer with us
- To someone who has hurt your feelings
- To someone you admire
- To someone who needs your help

## Check on yourself

### [[7 Intentional Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day#^78caa2|Why am I doing this?]]

I think too often **we assume we know why we do what we do**, but when we carve out time to sit and reflect, the truth can surprise us.

It might save you ten minutes on a Monday morning, or ten years spent chasing a goal you don’t even really want.

### [[7 Intentional Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day#^0ea258|Who am I doing this for?]]

This is a good question to ask yourself regularly when you feel your priorities are out of alignment. **It can help shine a light on where you need stronger personal boundaries**.

But I should also point out that self-reflection isn’t about judging yourself or others. Instead, **it’s about honesty; knowing why you do what you do and who you do things for**, so you can make intentional decisions about how to invest your time, money and energy.

### [[7 Intentional Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day#^de9f88|How does this add value to my life?]]

We trade away our precious lives in little moments [...] We often spend our lives on things that give us little value in return.

Ask everything you own and everything you do to **earn its place in your life** by asking the question, “How does this add value?” Whether it’s a new purchase or another task on your to-do list, make sure it’s worth it.

> [!info]
> If you can’t quickly explain in very specific terms how something is adding value to your life, then odds are it isn’t.

### [[7 Intentional Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day#^8419b3|What am I giving up?]]

**Everything in life has a tradeoff**. When you put a name to the tradeoffs associated with any decision, it helps you see things more clearly. Again, it’s not about right or wrong, but it is about alignment.

Whenever you decide to do or buy something, make sure you think about what you’re giving up to make it happen.

### [[7 Intentional Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day#^b44977|Am I being honest with myself?]]

It’s important to check that you’re being honest with yourself, because if you’re not, none of your other answers really matter.

