People have been keeping journals for centuries. There are all sorts of reasons to do it, from recording your thoughts and feelings to tracking your progress on a project.
But one of the main benefits of journaling is that it can help relieve stress. When you take the time to write down what's going on in your life, you're allowing yourself to process those emotions and make sense of them. And that can be a huge relief.
If you're ever feeling dry and uninspired, sometimes the quickest fix is simply to start writing whatever comes to mind. This form of stream-of-consciousness writing can be very therapeutic, and keeping a daily journal is the perfect way to get started.
Mental health is just as important as physical health, and journaling can be a great way to improve your mental well-being. Taking a few minutes each day to write down your thoughts and feelings can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and it can also give you a chance to work through any difficult emotions.
But sometimes your brain goes as blank as the page in front of you. This is why it helps to have a list of creative journal prompts and ideas handy. Whether you're feeling stuck, or just looking for a new way to approach your journaling, these ideas can help you get started:
When to use a journal prompt
The next time you find yourself looking for some journal entry ideas, don't forget this article so bookmark for future reference.
Your 22 Journal Prompts with descriptions.
write a list of 62 journal prompts
1. What's been going on in your life lately?
Perhaps a family tradition or a holiday.
Even write about a book you read recently and how it reflects your life.
FREE. coloring pages of families on holiday.
2. What do you hope to accomplish in the next 5 years?
Write down short-term and long-term goals that you want to make happen.
FREE downloadable worksheet of helpful questions to consider when setting your goals.
3. If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why?
Dreamhttps://colorwithkerry.com/free-printable-coloring-pages-of-families
2. What are your thoughts and feelings about _____?
Fill blank pages with political opinions or what you want to tell a loved one.
3. What are your goals for the next week, month, or year?
Maybe you want a better morning routine or have a better relationship with a family member.
4. What was your favorite thing that happened this week?
Anywhere you have been, even a new meal, describe it in a creative way.
5. What were some of the things you were grateful for this week?
Even normal things in your daily life can count.
6. Write about a time when you overcame a challenge.
Think about the actionable steps you had to make.
Create a page as if you were creating a blueprint for a friend.
7. Write about a time when you felt proud of yourself.
From keeping a commitment to daily exercise to ticking an item off your bucket list.
No accomplishment is too small.
8. Write about a memory of a favorite toy from your childhood.
Childhood play is often creative with great ideas.
But what would your child self say to your future self.
9. Write about a recent dream that you can remember.
A good habit is to bullet journal dreams to help with self-discovery.
These can even make good writing prompts on their own.
10. What are your thoughts on love and relationships?
Write in your journal about you partner, best friends and family members.
Express gratitude for your good relationships and self-reflection for the less positive ones.
Embelish with coloring sheets that represent love, some examples here.
11. How do you feel about where you're at in life right now?
Write in your journal about any personal development you have taken to be your current self.
Become more self aware about who you are now not just who you want your future self to be.
12. What's something you want to learn more about?
Think about all the thing you said you would do if only you knew how to x y z. What steps do you need to take to tick it off your bucket list.
13. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?
Get some ideas flowing, if you were to plan an upcoming event where might it be.
14. Who is one of your role models? Why?
As a self-discovery exercise, think about why you admire them so much and if you would want to be like them.
Perhaps you are already on the right track and just need some positive affirmations to help you realise.
15. What makes you feel most alive?
16. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
17. Who is one of your favorite authors, and why?
This simple exercise, think about the author of your favorite books and what about their work inspires to you.
18. Journal prompt if you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Did you dream of it from a little child or is your dream job more the product of new ideas.
19. If money was no object, what would you do with your life?
And if you could do anything all the time would you soon get bored of doing everything you want.
20. What's something that's been on your mind lately?
An overwhelming to do list.
An argument with a friend.
An upcoming event.
21. How do you handle stress and anxiety?
Cool as a cucumber or in need of extra self-care.
22. What's something that intimidates or scares you?
Scared of the dark.
A dislike of turning up places alone.
Fear of public speaking.
Worried about your emotional state and getting overwhelmed.
23. What are some things you're looking forward to in the near future?
24. How do you deal with negative thoughts and emotions?
25. What does self-love mean to you?
26. How do you define happiness, and what things bring it to you ?
27. How has your life changed in the last year or so ?
28. What do you think is the meaning and purpose of life ?
29. If death was not inevitable, what would be things would want to do with my life ?
30. What is one bad habit that you want to break?
31. Do you believe that change is possible? Explain why or why not in your journal entry?
32. Journal prompt of what things make you feel good/happy inside?
33. How interconnected are all things / how much free will do we really have?
34. What "theme" would describe your life so far?
35. In what ways are you alike/different from your parents?
36. Has there been a time in your life when things felt "perfect"?
37. Do you have any regrets in life so far?
38. What things would you like to do more of in your life?
39. Are there things that you've been procrastinating on?
40. What things would you do differently if you could go back to a certain time in your life?
41. Describe what things make you feel most fulfilled in your journal entry?
42. How much of our lives are determined by outside forces?
43. In what ways have you grown/changed as a person over the years?
44. If you could relive any moment from your life, which one would it be?
45. Confess what things do you take for granted in your journal entry?
46. How much control do we have over our lives?
47. What things in life are most important to you?
48. What inspires you to do your most creative work?
49. What drains your energy?
50. What things would you like to do more of in your life?
51. What things would you like to do less of in your life?
52. Are there things that you want to change about yourself? If so, what are they?
53. Journal prompt if you think that people can change? Why or why not?
54. What things would you like to change in the world?
55. Do you think that the world is a good or bad place? Why or why not?
56. Describe how do you define success in your journal entry?
57. What things make you feel most productive?
58. What things make you feel most creative ideas?
59. What things make you feel the best?
60. What things make you feel the worst?
61. Journal prompt what things would you like to do more of in your life?
62. What things would you like to do less of in your life?
How to get Journaling Ideas
There are endless possibilities for what you can write about in your journal. The only limit is your imagination. So if you're feeling stuck, don't be afraid to experiment and explore until you find a topic that sparks your interest.
Here are some tips on coming up with your own journaling ideas.
- Look at old journals for things you enjoyed writing about in the past
- Ask yourself what you want to get out of journaling to help you come up with the right journal prompts. Are you trying to relieve stress? Make sense of your emotions? Track your progress on a project?
- Once you know what you want to achieve, brainstorm some ideas for how to
Your next step creating a journal entry
With a list of journaling ideas at your disposal, you're sure to find something to shake down whatever is blocking your writing flow.
Sometimes all it takes is reminding yourself why you're looking for things to journal about in the first place.
