Journaling is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It allows you to organize your thoughts, process your emotions, learn more about yourself and record your experiences for future reflection. It can be particularly valuable during this time when the world feels so different from what we’re used to. Writing in your journal is a great way to start the day off clear-headed and ready to take on the world. It can also help wrap up a day with awareness and gratitude. But, the moments I find journaling to be the most cathartic are in the middle of a stressful day. When I realize my brain is running circles and circles around itself, I’ll force myself to take a break and spend 10 minutes just sitting with my thoughts, a pen and paper.
If you want to start journaling but you’re not sure where to begin, or you’re just feeling a little stuck today, here are some prompts to get you thinking. Thank you to Lavendaire, Wit & Delight and Girl Crush Collective for some of these prompts and for inspiring many more.
To start your day…
- What’s on my mind?
- What am I grateful for?
- What is my intention for today?
- What do I have to push through today? What can help me push through?
- List all the things I have to do today. Rank my top three to prioritize.
To reflect on the present…
- What is going well in my life right now?
- Am I living to my full potential? If not, why?
- What do I know now that I didn’t know a year ago?
- What are my priorities at the moment?
- What relationships in my life do I want to build on?
To learn about yourself…
- How would I describe myself to a stranger?
- When I look in the mirror, what do I see?
- What do I wish more people knew about me?
- What would it be like to fall in love with me – the good, the bad, the ugly, the magical?
- Who inspires me and why?
To process your emotions…
- What am I feeling right now? What is causing these feelings?
- What hurts right now? What can I do to deal with the hurt?
- What emotions are most overwhelming right now?
- Take a step back. Try explaining the situation like I would to a stranger.
- What are some strategies I have used in the past to help me work through my emotions? What can I do now?
To boost your mood…
- Write down the lyrics to a song that makes me happy.
- Make a list of things I love about myself.
- Write a thank you letter to someone in my life.
- Write a thank you letter to my body.
- Write down my inner critic’s opinions of myself and my decisions. Then write replies to those critiques.
To chase your dreams…
- What is something I have always wanted to do but have been too scared to? What would the first step be?
- If I had to start a business right now, what would it be? Is that something I want to do?
- If I could share one message with the world, what would it be? How can I do that with what I have now?
- What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail? Would I do it even if I might fail?
- Where do I want to go? Why? How?