Journaling for Better Wellbeing

Journaling is a powerful tool for supporting physical and mental health, managing stress, enhancing creativity, and cultivating personal growth. It can help unlock insights and process emotions as you move forward in life. So whether you’re brand new to journaling or looking to refresh your practice, here are some tips for building a journaling habit.

1. Choose your tools. No rules here, just choose what you like. You can use a journaling app or your notes app on your phone or computer, though some people find the act of writing on paper to be helpful. Pen and paper can range from inexpensive to more luxurious, whatever appeals to you!

2. Choose a time of day. You can write whenever you have the time, but carving out a specific time each day helps to establish a consistent practice. Many people find that journaling fits nicely into a morning or evening routine. Consider experimenting to find what works for you. You might like to journal while enjoying your morning coffee and sunlight or write to process the events of the day while sipping on a relaxing tea in the evening.

3. While not absolutely necessary, it can be inspiring to create an inviting environment for writing. Soft music, a cozy corner, candles…whatever you like!

4. There are many ways to journal, so don’t be afraid to try different things.

   Some people love free writing, where you write whatever comes into your head without censoring yourself. You can set a timer and just put to paper anything at all – you may be surprised by what surfaces!

   Conversely, you can also journal using specific prompts to get your thoughts going. Below are some examples of journaling prompts, but you can find many, many other ideas online or come up with your own. 

5. Let go of rules and expectations! Make the practice your own. Don’t think about the outcome – write for you, not anyone else. If fear of someone reading your innermost thoughts is holding you back, consider keeping your journal in a safe place or using a password-protected digital journal. If you write on paper, you can even destroy the pages after you finish! In truth, it’s the act of taking the time to get those thoughts out of your head and onto the page that is transformative. You don’t have to keep or refer back to them in the future unless you want to.

Journal Prompts:

Stress Management

• How is this stress/stressful situation beneficial for me?
• Where in my body do I feel this stress? 
• How can I best support myself right now? 
• How is my body supporting me right now? 
• How can I support my body?
• What am I grateful for right now?
• What am I most proud of right now? 
• What do I need to let go of right now?
• What do I need to accept?
• What are some small, manageable steps that may bring me relief? 
• What personal strengths are supporting me? 
• What lessons can I take away from this stress? 

Growth Mindset

• What’s one belief holding you back, and how did you come to accept it as true?
• How would you act differently if you believed the opposite of that limiting belief? 
• What challenged you today, and what can you learn from it?
• What’s a challenge you have overcome in the past? How did you do it? What personal strengths helped you? 
• What’s one skill you once thought you couldn’t master but eventually did? 
• When are you feeling your best? What things help to create that powerful feeling? 

Overcoming Self-sabotage:

• What would happen if you replaced ‘I have to’ with ‘I choose to’ in your daily language?
• When do you find yourself feeling the most resistant or defensive, and why? 
• What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
• If you were to imagine a world where you couldn’t fail, what’s one habit you’d immediately drop?

Self-care/Self-love/Self-trust:

• What does loving yourself look like?
• What does trusting yourself look like? 
• Where/How can you show yourself more compassion? 
• How could you bring more joy into your life? 

Energizing:

• What areas of life make you feel the most energized?
• What gives you hope and fills your cup? 
• How can I lean in and celebrate my achievements and personal growth?

Gratitude:

• What are you grateful for right now? 
• Describe a time in your life when someone showed you gratitude.
• What was one of the best things about your day? 

Habits/Routines:

• How can I better align my daily habits with my personal goals?
• What activities make me feel most authentic and true to myself?
• What areas of my life feel cluttered or chaotic, and how can I address them?
• What steps can I take to prioritize TRUE self-care and well-being?
• What habits or routines no longer serve me, and how can I release them?
• How can I incorporate more mindfulness and intentionality into my daily life?