When times are stressful, it is often difficult to focus when there is a lot going through your mind. Writing can be an emotional outlet to ease some of your stress and declutter your thoughts when your mind feels overwhelmed. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, try one of these writing prompts to help calm your mind.
- Brain-Dump
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Write down anything that is on your mind without worrying about grammar, spelling, or how neat your handwriting is. If you’re not sure where to begin, start with writing how you feel, talk about your day, or what is currently stressing you out. Don’t hold anything back because this is your space to let it all out. Not only does this serve to get some of your thoughts off your chest, but it can also help you make sense of your feelings.
- Reflect on a challenge you’ve had in the past
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Describe a hardship that you’ve faced, how you overcame it, and what you learned from it. Reflecting on these experiences can help remind you of your resilience and make you feel comfortable in knowing that you will also overcome what you are currently going through. Maybe one of the lessons that you write about can help you in your current situation!
- Make a list of your accomplishments
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As we navigate our lives, we tend to focus on times when we messed up or felt like we weren’t enough. It’s important to take some time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished in your life so far and how much you’ve grown. Your list could be about your accomplishments for your day, week, month, year, or your whole life. Take this moment to be proud of all that you’ve done because we often forget to give ourselves enough credit for how far we’ve come.
- Write about things that make you happy
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Make a list of things that make you happy or describe a happy memory in detail. Sometimes it seems as if there are so many negative things happening around us, and it can be overwhelming. Use this time to summon some positive energy and focus your mind on the good as you remind yourself of all the little things that make you happy.
- Write about what you’re grateful for
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List them out or express your appreciation for someone through a letter, which you do not have to give to them if you don’t want to. Writing about the things that you are grateful for can help shift your mind away from negative thoughts and feelings. You can even start a gratitude journal as a way to focus on the positive things in your life each day!
- Reflect on how you’re treating yourself
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Write about the standards that you are holding yourself to, the words of that inner voice in your head, and how you’ve been physically taking care of yourself and your health. Sometimes we get so caught up in the hardships in our lives that we forget to look after or be kind to ourselves. This prompt can help you become more self-aware of how you treat yourself and any negative tendencies that you might be having.
Writing down your thoughts can help you respond to your stress in a calm and thoughtful way. Hopefully, these prompts can serve as a starting point for reducing stress, as you self-reflect and process your thoughts. If you try one of the prompts and find it helpful, consider starting a journal that you can turn to any time that you are feeling stressed!