Journal Prompts: For Mental Health, Gratitude, Anxiety, & More

By Justine Saavedra, M.S.
Reviewed by Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.

Develop a journaling practice using journal prompts. Discover journal prompts for love, self-reflection, and more.

Journal Prompts: For Mental Health, Gratitude, Anxiety, & More

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Writing in a journal is a common way for people to express their thoughts and emotions without fear of judgment or repercussions. You can write about anything you want to process such as the upsetting conversation you had with your mother or the promotion you just got at your job. Putting your thoughts into actual words can help you see patterns and form solutions to barriers in your life that may be inhibiting your success.

Journaling gives you a safe space to process big emotions and ideas that can feel overwhelming until you put them down on paper.

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What Are Journal Prompts? (A Definition)

Journal prompts are a good tool for people just beginning a journaling practice or those looking to focus on a specific issue. Prompts can be used as a touchstone to help you gather your thoughts and feelings. There are numerous types of journaling practices which means you can find the one that works best for you. Some of the various journaling practices are listed below.

Types of Journaling Practices:

Art
Bullet
Free-flow
Gratitude
Reflective

Personally, I use a combination of free-flow and reflective journaling. In free-flow journaling, you write whatever comes to your mind without judgments or edits and for reflective journaling, you reflect on experiences that have had an effect on you. Journal prompts can be used as a tool in most journaling practices (other than free-flow which is supposed to capture the flow of thought).

Prompts give you a starting point for your thoughts and can be especially helpful if you have a specific issue you want to work on–they tell you exactly what to start writing about, which allows you to focus all your attention on processing one experience. For example, if you are having trouble at work, it might be beneficial to use career journal prompts to work through how to solve your problems. If you want to grow as a person, using journal prompts for self-reflection, introspection, and self-discovery can be helpful in developing into the type of person you want to be.

One study focused on journaling as a way to process stressful life events and found that “writers focusing on cognitions and emotions developed a greater awareness of the positive benefits of the stressful event” (Ullrich & Lutgendorf, 2002). This means that processing your thoughts and feelings about a stressful situation using journaling can help you see the lessons to be learned. However, it can be hard to know where to start a journaling practice. Keep reading to learn how to start a regular journaling practice using journal prompts and discover prompts for anxiety, love, self-reflection, and more.

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How to Start Journaling with Journal Prompts

Journaling can be an effective tool for processing your emotions and ideas, but where do you start? If you have never written in a journal before it can feel intimidating to put your thoughts on paper. Try not to worry if you feel apprehensive at first. The more you practice, the easier it will be to express yourself. Follow these easy steps to develop a regular journaling practice using journal prompts.

Buy yourself a journal with a fun design
I am always more motivated to write when I have a notebook I am excited to use. Find one in your favorite color, one with your favorite quote on the cover, or try this guided journal which already comes with 500 journal prompts. You can even buy colorful pens or fun stickers to help keep you motivated to use your journal.

Set aside ten minutes in your schedule
In order to create a habit, you have to make the time for it. Try to find a time in your schedule, ideally in the morning, that you can devote entirely to journaling. Set out your journal, pen, and prompt the night before so it is easy to jump right in. Try not to beat yourself up if you miss a few days–you can always jump back in.

Write without fear of judgment
Writing about our personal feelings and thoughts can feel very vulnerable and it may be difficult to fully open up at first. Over time it gets much easier to open up and express yourself, just like it would if you were developing a relationship with another person. Try to trust yourself and be completely honest.

Practice, practice, practice
When I first started journaling regularly three years ago, it was a struggle to make the time and put the words down on paper. With persistence, I have developed an (almost) daily journaling practice which helps me express my thoughts and clear my mind. Try to keep practicing, even when it feels frustrating.

Video: 5 Journal Prompts You Should Answer Every 30 days

Journal Prompts for Mental Health

What is giving you the most joy right now?
How has your mood been over the past week? The past month?
What is causing you the most significant amount of stress right now?
List three things you are proud of accomplishing in the last week.
What is one thing you could do today to make your mental health better?
Has anything or anyone triggered an unwanted emotion in you lately? If so, what happened?
List any bad habits (such as scrolling too much social media or drinking too much alcohol) that may be detrimental to your mental health and how you can improve them.

Journal Prompts for Gratitude

Write down the last five things that made you smile.
List five things you take for granted that you are thankful for.
List three things you can see in front of you right now that you are grateful for.
Name three things you use every day that you are thankful for.
List three difficult situations you experienced and the lessons you are grateful for.
Who are the five people you are most thankful to have in your life?
Describe your “happy place”—the place you feel most like yourself and relaxed—in detail.

Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery

What core values and beliefs do you hold most important?
Write about one thing you have learned about yourself this year.
Do you think you work too much or do you have a good work-life balance?
What legacy do you want to leave behind at your life’s end?
What is your definition of success? Of a successful life?
List five people you greatly admire and why. Write about the traits they have that you can cultivate within yourself.

Video: Journal Prompts for Self Discovery, Healing, Growth

Video: Journal Prompts for Mental Health & Self Discovery

Journal Prompts for Anxiety

The 5 senses grounding technique is commonly used to help calm down people experiencing anxiety (Mayo Clinic Health System, 2022). If you are feeling anxious try using this technique as a writing prompt to help ground yourself.

Write about:
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can physically feel
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste

Journal Prompts for Self-Love

Write about three physical and three non-physical traits you love about yourself.
Write about a mistake you made that you can forgive yourself for.
Describe in detail when you feel most comfortable in your own skin.
What is one thing that you are proud of yourself for accomplishing?
Write a letter to your younger self and include three things you love about that younger version of yourself. Are those still things you love about yourself now?
List your three biggest insecurities and then write about them from the perspective of someone who finds them beautiful.

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Journal Prompts for Self-Reflection

What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?
What is one piece of advice that you would give to yourself as a teenager?
Finish this sentence. “The thing that brings me the most joy is…”
List your three biggest goals in life. Are these goals different than 1, 5, or 10 years ago?
Write about any beliefs or habits that might be holding you back from reaching your goals and dreams. How can you overcome these obstacles?
Describe yourself using the first ten words that pop into your head. Are these words you are proud of?

Journal Prompts to Process Emotions

Write down the three emotions you experienced the most over the past week and the past month.
- Put a heart next to the positive emotions and a sad face next to the negative emotions.
- Are any of the emotions you listed negative, such as anger or jealousy?
- For each emotion, list the people or situations that may have been involved.
- Write about any common themes you notice.

Journal Prompts About Love

List three personality traits you would like to see in a partner.
How would you describe your ideal partnership?
What does love mean to you and how do you express love in your relationships?
What parts of yourself do you keep closely guarded? Describe how you can be more open in relationships.
What are the five most important lessons you have learned from past relationships?
Write a letter to someone you care about (partner, family, friend, etc.) and then give it to them.

Journal Prompts to Find Your Purpose

Describe your ideal life including family, career, home, and everything in between.
If money was not an issue, what would you want your life to look like?
List your three favorite hobbies. When was the last time you made time for them?
Do you enjoy working independently or prefer to collaborate with other people?
Do you enjoy helping people? If so, describe how you help people and how you might contribute more (such as starting to volunteer).

Deep Journal Prompts

How do you show yourself compassion and self-care? How can you show up for yourself to take care of your well-being?
Do you feel happy with your life as it is right now? If not, what can you do to change that?
If you could snap your fingers and get rid of all of your problems, would you? Why or why not?
What was your favorite memory as a child? Write about the sounds, smells, and sights associated with that memory.
Write three things you are holding onto from the past. Destroy these pages to symbolize letting go.

Journal Prompts for Teens

Are you the same person face-to-face as you are online?
Write about the top three qualities that you look for in a friend.
How would you describe your relationship with your siblings? Are there ways you could improve these relationships?
If you are an only child, do you believe this is an advantage or disadvantage?
What is one small thing you could do tomorrow to make a positive impact on your community?

Journal Prompts for Middle School

What is your favorite movie and why do you like it?
Who is your favorite superhero and why do you look up to them?
Write a letter to yourself as a grown-up. What do you hope to accomplish by then?
List three ways you take care of yourself (eating vegetables, exercising, drawing, etc.).
If you could be anything in the world when you grow up, what would you want to be?
Do you have any chores around the house? Are there ways you can be more helpful to your family?

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Articles Related to Journal Prompts

Want to learn more? Check out these articles:

Books Related to Journal Prompts

If you’d like to keep going, here are a few journals and books that you might be interested in.

Final Thoughts on Journal Prompts

There are many different types of journaling practices and journal prompts are a great tool for beginners. Starting a journaling practice might be intimidating if you have never written before but prompts give you a jumping-off point to start organizing your thoughts. To develop a regular journaling practice, buy a fun journal, set aside time, write with honesty, and be consistent. Use this article to find journal prompts for self-discovery, anxiety, and more. You can also develop a journaling practice to help process thoughts and emotions which can help you see the benefits that come out of stressful situations. Learning lessons from your adversity can help you be more resilient to stressful situations in the future.

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References

Mayo Clinic Health System. (2022, August 25). Countdown to make Anxiety Blast Off. Mayo Clinic Health System. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
Ullrich, P. M., & Lutgendorf, S. K. (2002). Journaling about stressful events: Effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 24(3), 244–250.