Written By: Angela Bishop
Negative thoughts can be sticky! We often don’t know how to interact with them or what it will take to loosen the hold they have on us. Welcome Journaling!
There’s no better way to understand what’s going on in your head than to journal. The common difficulty many people encounter is that the act of journaling is so open-ended that when it’s most beneficial to do it, they avoid it.
Sound familiar? If this is one of the roadblocks you face when it comes to journaling, there are some tools to help. And if you are motivated to get started, there are some printable journal tools available to you on the resource page of this site.
When done with intention, journaling can be calming and can help to clear your mind. It can help in releasing pent-up feelings and everyday stress, while also bringing clarity to situations that may have left you feeling stuck. It can help you let go of negative thoughts while exploring your experiences with anxiety in a safe way.
When we get in the habit of writing about our struggles AND successes, we begin to see enhanced self-awareness while also teaching ourselves about our triggers, or at the very least, giving our therapist some material to work with!
Consider some journaling styles to try out
Morning Pages
Whether you are new to journaling or are just looking for some new prompts to try, consider doing a mental download using the morning pages method. It’s a great way to get your mental gears going and clear out the clutter of unfinished tasks, things to remember, or notes to self. It’s also very effective in getting started when it comes to more targeted journaling sessions. Most of us can easily jot down a list.
Bullet Journal
This is where you write down whatever is on your mind in short form, bullet points. No need for proper grammar here! Just jot down whatever thoughts come to mind.
Brain Dump/Mental Download
This is simply as the name sounds: dumping all the contents of your mind onto paper. Similar to bullet journaling and morning pages, with a spin. Think of this as a way to get rid of everything cycling in your mind, taking up valuable space. You can divide your page into categories if you like, or just jot things down as they come to you. See some examples in the journal printable available in the resources section.
Audio Journal
For those that struggle with putting pen to paper, an audio journal might just do the trick! Sometimes saying how you are thinking and feeling out loud helps you process and heal. You do not need to re-listen if you don’t want to. Nothing is off limits, just hit record and say everything out loud. Yell, cry, whatever you need. Putting words to your experience and articulating emotions can help you get to the root of your emotions or understand your personal experience better. Delete it when you’re done if that helps!
Freewriting
Freewriting involves writing down your thoughts, whatever they may be, without censoring or editing them. This can take the form of bullet journaling or brain dumping as described above. The purpose is to explore your thoughts and feelings and to uncover the wisdom and understanding you already possess.
To begin:
- Set a timer. Choose a time limit that works for you (and if you’re unsure, try writing for 15 to 20 minutes).
- Write everything that comes to mind. Avoid the temptation to edit yourself. Write down precisely what you’re thinking, regardless of how strange or silly it seems to you—and write it quickly so you don’t have a chance to censor yourself.
- Don’t worry about grammar or spelling. Freewriting can lead to more typos and misspellings—and that’s alright. Don’t interrupt yourself to correct mistakes; just keep writing.
- Write until your time is up. If you’ve run out of things to write about, write about that feeling, or keep writing a repeated phrase until something new comes to mind.
- Reread your entry afterward. As you do, look for opportunities to gain insight from yourself. You may even write down a few sentences at the end of your entry recording the things you found compelling or surprising.
During this practice, you may find yourself delving deeply into a single topic, or you might jump around from thought to thought. Both of these outcomes can offer important insight into what (and how) you’re thinking.
Using Journal Prompts
If freewriting sounds intimidating, using a prompt can give you a concrete place to begin.
You don’t need to write something for every one of these prompts, just pick one or two that speak to you and start there. You don’t have to write anything profound or perfect – just write what comes to you and try not to judge yourself too harshly. If a lot of complicated feelings come up while you do this, know that that’s okay. Journaling is a fantastic tool for self-reflection, but it can be an emotional process, especially when you’re journaling about something as emotionally fraught as grief, so be gentle with yourself. Remember, you’re doing this to help yourself feel better, so don’t make yourself feel worse during the process.
Gratitude Journal Prompts
- What are three great things that happened yesterday?
- What are 10 things that bring you joy?
- What are you looking forward to right now? If you can’t think of anything, what can you do to change that?
- What is one totally-free thing that’s transformed your life?
- What things in your life would you describe as priceless?
- What are 10 things you’re actively enjoying about life right now?
- Write about the most fun you had recently. What were you doing and who were you with?
- Write about an act of kindness that someone did for you that took you by surprise.
- What are some of your favourite ways to show the people in your life that you love them?
- Reflect on a moment of profound beauty that you recently experienced. What about it surprised you and drew you in?
- In this moment, what are three things in your life that you feel the most grateful for?
- Write five guilty pleasures you don’t feel guilty about.
- In what ways have you felt supported by friends, family, or your community recently?
- Name three healthy habits you started within the last year that has changed your life for the better.
Journal Prompts for Reflection and Self-Discovery
- What do I know to be true that I didn’t know a year ago?
- What distractions get in the way of being my most productive?
- When do I feel most in tune with myself?
- If someone described me, what would they say?
- What can wait until next week?
- How does my body feel at this moment?
- Name the top three emotions you are feeling at the moment. What are the emotions you want to feel today?
- What is the one thing you would tell your teenage self if you could?
- What is your body craving at the moment?
- What are 10 questions you wish you had the answers to right now?
- What are you scared of right now?
- What’s not working in your life right now?
- Write about someone you miss, what do you miss about them? How do they make you feel?
- Picture someone who you’ve experienced a conflict with in the past and try to drop into their perspective. What were they feeling at the time of your conflict? If it’s available to you, how can you express sympathy for their experience?
- What areas of your life are causing you stress? What areas of your life are bringing you joy?
- What would you describe as being the greatest accomplishment of your life so far?
- If someone was to describe your life story back to you, which three events would you want them to highlight the most?
Journal Prompts for Managing Emotions
- What emotions am I holding on to?
- How can I detach or neutralize this emotion?
- Why am I doing X?
- Why am I feeling this way?
- What is causing this feeling?
- Have I tried to take my ego out of the situation?
- How can I detach my emotions from the behaviour of others?
- Did I use healthy boundaries before I began feeling this way?
- What do healthy boundaries mean to me and what are they?
Journal Prompts for Anxiety and Depression
- What hurts right now? How can I find relief?
- When I look in the mirror, what do I see?
- What are the things in my home that are the most “me”?
- What happened before I felt a shift in my mood?
- Write down an entire list of what you are worried about. Star the items you know are 100% true and not solely a feeling.
- What difficult thoughts and emotions come up most frequently for you?
- Which emotions do you find hardest to accept (guilt, anger, disappointment, etc.)? How do you handle these emotions?
- Describe a choice you regret. What did you learn from it?
- What parts of daily life cause stress, frustration, or sadness? What can you do to change those experiences?
- What are three things that can instantly disrupt a good mood and bring you down? What strategies do you use to counter these effects?
- What are three self-defeating thoughts that show up in your self-talk? How can you reframe them to encourage yourself instead?
- What go-to coping strategies help you get through moments of emotional or physical pain?
- Who do you trust with your most painful and upsetting feelings? How can you connect with them when feeling low?
- What do you fear most? Have your fears changed throughout life?
Journal Prompts for Grief
- Today, I miss…
- Today, I remembered…
- This experience has taught me…
- Do I have any regrets about this situation?
- If I could say something to you, I would say…
- What are some ways you’ve expressed grief in the past? Did they feel helpful to you?
- What feelings am I looking forward to? What feelings do I want to leave behind?
- Write a list of activities that you can engage in to make yourself feel better
- Do I feel comfortable asking for help? Why or why not?
- Make a list of ways you feel taken care of both by yourself and by others.
- What’s a positive memory I have of this person or situation?
- How did this person or experience make you feel?
- Write down a list of things specific to your dad that you admired, or wished were different.
- What creative ways do I use to express my feelings? If I can’t think of any, what are some I can try?
- Make a list of a few different ways you can honour your loved one or your loss.
- When I am overcome by grief, here is a mantra or affirmation I can use to comfort myself: Here are five ways I can be compassionate with myself today…
For more journaling resources and templates check out the free printables section, under resources!
If you find the contents of your journal entries require more exploring, please Contact Bloom & Thrive Therapy. We can help you explore this and dive deeper!
