Time to get your writing juices flowing with the best journal prompts for everything from self-discovery to mental health.
A journal is the perfect companion to help guide you and express yourself the way you like. The endless health and mental benefits of journaling make it an appealing approach for people looking for a little clarity and direction in life.
However, it’s not always easy to open up your journal and write.
Sometimes you may find the words naturally flow out at super speed whilst other times you may find yourself staring at a blank page for ages!
That’s where journal prompts come into play, and I’ve put together 108 journaling prompts to inspire you so you never run out of things to write about!
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you make a purchase through my links at no extra cost to you.
What are journal prompts?
Quite simply, journal prompts are questions or ideas that help shape and inspire your writing.
For example, journaling prompts can be a specific theme or topic you want to address or a general suggestion to help you write more freely.
Journaling with prompts is ideal if you struggle with writers block, need a little extra inspiration or if you’re a journaling newbie (as well as for experienced writers).
How to use journal prompts
There are numerous ways to use your writing prompts but here are some of the best ways to really utilise them.
1. Add your journal prompts into a journal jar
A journal jar contains slips of paper with all your journaling prompts with different topics and questions on each one. It’s a pretty simple strategy and here’s how to do it:
- Simply find an empty jar and label it however you like.
- Print or write out your journal prompts on slips of paper.
- Place these slips in your jar.
- Every day, take out a slip from the jar with a new prompt.
- Start writing and don’t overthink it. The beauty of journaling is to let your thoughts free-flow onto the paper.
2. Create a writing prompt list
Dedicate a page in your journal or even a sheet of paper where you write down the journal prompts that resonate with you. This way you can pull it out any time you need some journaling prompts to motivate or inspire you.
3. Have a daily set of prompts
If you find yourself coming back to the same prompts often, perhaps you should think about having them as your set daily journal prompts.
A good example would be “what are three things I’m grateful for today.” This is a question that can be answered every day regardless of how similar your responses may be.
108 best journal prompts to inspire you this year
Without further a do, let’s jump straight into these prompts. Here you’ll find a range of journaling prompts covering different topics. Use these often to help guide you and express your feelings and emotions.
General journaling prompts
1. How do you feel right now?
2. When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
3. What does your dream life look like?
4. Take inspiration from quotes. Write down a quote and how it resonates with you.
5. What do you need more in your life?
6. What do you need less in your life?
7. Write about something you need to get of your chest today.
Journal prompts for self discovery
Ready to dig deep and uncover yourself? These journal prompts will guide you on a journey of self discovery to gain a deeper understanding of who you are and what drives you.
1. Describe a moment you felt truly happy. What made this moment fulfilling?
2. Write a letter to your younger self. What advice would you give her?
3. List your top five values in life (respect, honesty etc etc). How do you live by these values?
4. Write about a fear or insecurity you need to let go of. How does it effect you from moving forward? Make a list of the ways you can conquer them.
5. Describe a difficult lesson you learnt and how it has impacted you.
6. Reflect on a time when you felt most like yourself.
7. Imagine your dream life in vivid detail.
8. Write about a passion or hobby you want to pursue.
9. Make a list of all your strengths and weaknesses.
10. Write a letter to your future self.
11. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
12. What drains your energy?
13. What’s something you look forward to and why?
Journal prompts for gratitude
Gratitude is the key to happiness and by exploring the following journal prompts and noting what you’re grateful for each day, you can rewire your brain to focus on the positive and develop a more optimistic outlook on life.
Focusing on the good and expressing gratitude for even the smallest blessings will allow you to attract greater joy and fulfilment into your life.
1. What is something someone did for you recently that you appreciate?
2. What are the things about your current situation that you’re thankful for?
3. What is a challenge you faced recently that ultimately taught you something positive?
4. What is a small pleasure in your life that you often take for granted?
5. Who is someone in your life who has had a positive impact on you?
6. What is one thing that you accomplished recently that you’re proud of?
7. What is a physical experience that you’re grateful to have had, for example, a delicious meal or a beautiful sunset?
8. What is something that made you smile or laugh recently?
9. What is a possession you’re grateful to have and why?
10. What is one thing about yourself that you’re grateful for?
11. Make a list of all your blessings. How can you appreciate these things more?
12. If something or someone special was taken from you, how would you feel?
13. What are you grateful for today?
Journal prompts for mental health
Journaling has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health. It can help you process your thoughts and emotions, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase self-awareness. So here are some amazing journaling prompts to promote mental health.
1. What are your biggest sources of stress right now? How can you manage or eliminate them?
2. Write a letter to yourself as if you were talking to your best friend. What advice would you give them to tackle their current challenges?
3. List five things that make you feel calm and content. How can you add these activities into your daily life?
4. Reflect on a difficult situation you recently faced. What lessons did you learn from it, and how can you apply those lessons in the future?
5. Write about a time when you felt proud of yourself. What did you accomplish and how did it make you feel?
6. What negative self-talk do you engage in? Write down these thoughts and then challenge them with evidence to disprove them.
7. Reflect on a past mistake or failure. How did you handle it at the time and what could you have done differently? What did you learn from the experience?
8. List five things you’re grateful for in your life right now. How can you express your gratitude for these things?
9. Write about a time when you felt overwhelmed. What strategies did you use to cope and manage the situation?
10. What habits or behaviours are holding you back from being your best self? How can you work to overcome these obstacles and develop better habits?
Journaling prompts for reflection
Reflection is an important aspect of personal growth and development. Taking some time to look back on your experiences can help you gain insights into your thoughts, feelings and actions. Here are some prompts that can guide you in reflecting on different aspects of your life.
1. Think about a time when you felt proud of yourself. What did you accomplish, and how did it make you feel?
2. Are there any patterns or things in your life that you have noticed recently? How do they effect your thoughts and feelings?
3. What are some areas of your life that you would like to improve on? How can you work towards those goals?
4. What boundaries can you set in your life to make things easier for you?
5. What changes can you make to help you live your life according to your values?
6. Describe yourself (truthfully) in 10 words. Are these words positive or negative? Now describe yourself the way you’d like to be in 10 words. What steps do you need to take to help you become that person?
7. Describe a time in your life that was pivotal? What happened and what did you learn from it?
Journal prompts for self love
As humans, we tend to be hard on ourselves, tending to focus more on our flaws and shortcomings. However, it’s important to take the time to appreciate and love yourself for who you are. Here are some journal prompts to help you practice self-love:
1. Write down five things you love about yourself. They can be physical traits, personality traits, or accomplishments.
2. What are some ways you can practice self-care? Brainstorm a list of activities that make you feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
3. Write a letter to yourself, expressing gratitude and appreciation for who you are.
4. What qualities do you admire about yourself?
5. Write a list of things you enjoy doing. How can you do more of it in your life?
6. What things make you feel good about yourself? This could also be a person.
7. What do you need to kick to the curb in your life that’s constantly holding you back or putting you down? How can you remove this so you can be happier?
8. How can you support yourself more?
9. Create a “I am…” list with positive words and explain why you are that. For example, “I am fearless because I did a skydive even though I’m terrified of heights.”
Examples of "three things..." journaling prompts
1. Three things you’re grateful for today.
2. Three major things you’ve learnt in your life.
3. Three people that have a positive impact in your life and why.
4. Three things you can’t live without.
5. Three places you’d love to visit.
6. Three of your favourite things to do.
Journal prompts for living your best life
1. Write about a time when you felt truly alive. What were you doing? Who were you with? What made that moment so special?
2. Describe your ideal day from start to finish. What would you do? Who would you spend time with? How would you feel?
3. What limiting beliefs are holding you back from living the life you truly want? How can you shift your mindset to overcome them?
4. How do you nurture your mind, body and spirit? Are there areas you can improve on to prioritise your wellness?
5. If you had no fears or limitations, what would you do?
6. Create a bucket list of everything you want to do in your life and keep adding to it.
7. If money wasn’t as issue, how would you live your life?
8. How do you practice self-care?
9. What makes you feel most relaxed?
10. Where is your happy place or what place makes you feel peaceful?
11. List five things that inspire and motivate you.
Journaling prompts for life goals
By taking the time to pause and reflect on these questions, you can gain a better understanding of what you truly want out of life. Use your answers to guide you as you set goals and create a plan for achieving them. Remember to be specific and hold yourself accountable as you work towards your goals.
1. What are the top three things you want to achieve in your lifetime?
2. What motivates you to achieve your goals? How do you stay inspired?
3. What do you want to be known for in your life?
4. What areas of your life do you want to improve the most? How can you go about achieving this?
5. What is your definition of success? How will you know when you’ve achieved it?
6. Where do you see yourself in 6 months time? 1 year? 5 years? 10 years?
7. Create a list of goals you’d like to achieve by the end of the year and how have you been working to achieve them?
8. If failing wasn’t as issue, what would you do?
9. Make a list of short term goals.
10. Make a list of long-term goals.
Journaling prompts to help manage your emotions
1. What difficult emotions do you need to control?
2. What steps can you take to control undesirable emotions?
3. What emotions are you holding on to?
4. What’s making me feel this way?
5. Are there any healthy boundaries you can set to block these emotions?
6. What’s causing you pain and how can you find relief?
7. Make a list of things that can instantly improve your mood.
Create a list
1. What you’ve achieved today.
2. All the places you’ve been.
3. A to-do list.
4. Favourite movies, songs or/and books.
5. Short and long term goals.
6. People you look up to.
7. Steps to take to change something in your life.
Memories from your childhood or major milestones
1. Your first date.
2. Your most memorable experience.
3. Things you enjoyed doing in your childhood.
4. Your first job.
5. Your first school.
6. Your college experience.
7. Something you did for the first time. What was it and how did you feel?
Evaluate the week you've had
1. What went well this week?
2. What could have gone better?
3. What did you most enjoy this week?
4. Rate your week on a scale of 1 – 10. What made you choose that number?
5. What lessons did you take away from the week?
6. What have you done this week to move you closer to your goals?
7. Pinpoint a memorable experience in the week. What did you do and how did it make you feel?
8. Did you have a productive week? Write about what you’ve done.
Final thoughts
Keeping a journal is extremely helpful for managing your emotions, expressing yourself and making sense of things. The journal prompts in this post are a great way to start your journey or encourage and influence your writing.
Don’t forget to follow the tips above and if you need any more guidance on further journaling tips, take a look at this post:
Lovely and really helpful!