In the 12th grade, I took a class titled Writers Craft. At the beginning of each class, my teacher would give us a prompt and told us to write about it for ten minutes, non-stop. Writing for ten minutes straight every day seems like a small thing, but it’s the one thing that I believe improved my writing, opened my mind and allowed me to fall in love with journaling. This allowed me to continue the habit even after the class was over and take up daily journaling.
There are many benefits to this habit. Journaling is said to be a mindfulness activity and it’ll strengthen your writing skills, as well as allow you to think about things you may not otherwise. It only takes a few minutes a day but can be a great addition to your daily routine. Try keeping a notebook beside your bed and write either as soon as you wake up or directly before you go to bed. If you’re someone who doesn’t like to write or think you can’t write as fast as you think, try keeping a digital journal so you can type out your thoughts. Eventually, writing a little bit every day will become a habit that you’ll fall in love with.
Figuring out what to write about can be tricky. If there’s something significant going on in your life or something you can’t get off your mind, I recommend writing about that. Not only is writing these things down therapeutic, but you’ll be able to look back on your thoughts down the road. If there is nothing you can think of, try using a journaling prompt. Even if you end up switching to unconscious thinking and mindless writing throughout your journaling process, begin with a prompt to get yourself started. Here are a few prompts to get you through your first few days of journaling:
1. Are you a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty person and why?
2. What is your ideal life? Where do you live, how do you look, how do you feel?
3. What’s one magic power you’d like to have and what would you do with it?
4. If you knew you were dying in 24-hours, what would you do and who would you see?
5. Nobody knows this…. (Write about things you’d like to confess)
6. Who are three people who influenced your life the most?
7. If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be?
8. Write in the perspective of the object to your left.
9. Who was your first crush?
10. Write in the perspective of yourself 10 years from now.
11. If you were granted three wishes, what would they be?
12. What are your biggest red flags and biggest green flags in a friendship?
13. If you could only have three foods for the rest of your life, what would they be and why?
14. How would you describe yourself from an outsider’s perspective?
15. Would you like to go back in time or see the future?
16. If you had to relive any year of your life, which year would you pick and what would you do differently?
17. What is your biggest pet peeve and why?
18. Describe your ideal day from start to finish.
19. If you could marry only for money or only for looks, which would you choose and why?
20. What are the top five items on your bucket list?
Journaling has changed my life for the better and I’m so grateful I can look back on my thoughts from years ago to see not only a shift in my writing but a shift in my thinking. I can see my own growth through written thoughts which is amazing for reflection and understanding that I’m constantly changing and developing. Journaling is an easy thing everyone can do, even if you’re not a writer, or believe writing is not your strong suit. It’s a simple way to open your mind and allow yourself to think outside the box in a therapeutic and creative way.