Deep, thought-provoking journal prompts are hard to come by. Journaling itself is one of the most underrated forms of self-therapy. It clears the mind, helps you focus on what you want, and releases what is no longer serving you.
I journal nearly every day and, at the very least, every week. In this article, I'll share quality journal prompts that will enhance your journaling and its effectiveness.
How to journal
Journaling is extremely easy. You buy a journal, a pen, or a pencil, and you begin writing. You don't need to be a writer, and you don't need to know what you're going to write. Nor do you need to keep a strict schedule.
This is where journal prompts do come in handy, not only for the new journal writer but also for the seasoned one. It can be extremely helpful when you're overwhelmed to be "asked" your thoughts on a subject matter to help untangle everything in your mind.
I incorporate journal prompts into my morning worksheets, which come in all of the self-care and mindset bundles. It's a very powerful daily practice, which is why I'm excited to share this post.
What are journal prompts?
Journal prompts are simply questions that get you thinking about a particular subject or focus.
Depending on your end goal for journaling, journal prompts can help you achieve it. Sometimes, I journal for clarity; other times, I journal to process an emotion I'm struggling with.
Journaling is even considered a form of divination because of the way answers can so easily come to your mind. It can almost feel like you're receiving divine guidance (which I fully believe in).
Below is a list of journal prompts I compiled to get you thinking. Some prompts will only elicit a short answer, and others might have you filling up an entire page. Don't worry about your spelling or whether you can even re-read it. Just write.
I'm also not suggesting you do every journal prompt for the specified category. Pick one or a few–whichever ones call to you–and start writing.
Daily morning journal prompts
- Today, I want to feel...
- If today could unfold perfectly, it would look like this...
- I'm appreciating...
- 3 ways I could nourish myself today....
- 3 ways I could take action today...
- 3 ways I could love myself today...
- 3 ways I could stay present today...
- My top 3 goals of the day...
- My word of the day is...(abundance, love, forgiveness, grace, tenderness, trust, faith)
- What am I most needing right now?
Nightly journal prompts
- How today went...
- How I'm feeling about things that happened today...
- 3 things to let go of...
- What do I want to do differently tomorrow?
- Today, I was so grateful for these things...
- What am I most needing tonight?
- Beautiful moments from the day...
Prompts for clarity
- Recently, I've been feeling very...
- I've been feeling like this because...
- Ways I want to begin feeling...
- If I could have things my way, they would look like this...
- What is no longer serving me?
- What am I truly needing these days?
- What would my perfect schedule look like?
Prompts for healing & well being
- I often feel...(angry, irritated, mad, sad, cheated, belittled, shamed, etc)
- If I had to name one emotion that seems to live deep in my core, it would be...
- How long have I felt this emotion?
- Where could it have come from?
- When I think of this emotion and time of my life, what is my biggest fear? What do I believe I am?
- What could I begin to do to soften and love this scared part of me?
- What activities bring me a deep sense of inner calm?
- What situations, circumstances or people seem to trigger this negative emotion within me?
- What makes me feel safe?
- How do I want to begin feeling?
- What can I begin to let go of?
- What boundaries need to be placed so I can return to well being?
- What does well being feel like?
- What does well being look like?
Anxiety journal prompts
- I am currently feeling...
- The worst thing that could happen would be...
- The best thing that could happen would be...
- Even if the worst thing happened, I know all would still truly be okay because...
- Things I can control...
- Things I can't control...
- What improves if I worry?
- What improves if I let go and go with the flow?
- Things I can do in this moment to help myself...
- Talking to these people make me feel worse...
- Talking to these people make me feel more calm...
- Beliefs that trigger my anxiety...
- New beliefs I can choose that serve me...
EXPLORE FURTHER
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this article and found something to take away with you.
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With love,
Jessica
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Laura Holley
Thank you....I know how beneficial journaling can be yet I'm horrible at it. The prompts are so helpful....like a starting point but then the words just flow.
Jessica Dimas
That's the beautiful thing about prompts...they make journaling so much easier because we all have reflections and answers within us, we just sometimes need the nudge in the direction we're wanting to go 🙂