A habit that I really rely on in my daily life is journaling. I try to do it everyday, and at least once a week if it’s a super busy time. I’ve found that this is the most therapeutic thing that I can do for myself, no matter the mood I’m in. Writing is a great way to relieve stress, and a great way to have written accounts of fun and happy memories. I love flipping through my journals from years prior and reminiscing; it always reminds me of how far I have come.
Another big reason that I love to journal is that it can really help me discover more about my thoughts, or examine the reasons why I’m feeling what I’m feeling. Sometimes, I don’t realize something is even on my mind until I put a pen to paper and see what comes out. I enjoy this process, especially when something is on my mind that I want to think about and reflect on more. Whether that be a score on a test, interactions with friends, or even just my entire quarter in general, I’ve found that writing about it always helps me reflect and truly sit in what I’m feeling. It also provides me a way to release all those feelings; it’s so satisfying when I can get everything out of my mind and onto a page, and then just leave it there.Â
But just sitting down and writing is definitely difficult sometimes. I still struggle with it to this day. So, I wanted to share some of the journal prompts that I use when I can’t figure out where to start, but need to get something off my chest!
- What is something that I’m currently doing or thinking that is holding me back, and why am I doing that?Â
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It can be so easy to feel like certain situations or circumstances are holding you back, and to use that as an excuse for why you’re not exactly where you want to be yet. But I’ve found that, most likely, there are actions you are taking, or a certain mindset you have, that is doing a large part of that. I know that in my own life, I definitely do things that hold me back sometimes, such as really procrastinating on a really important assignment or studying for an important midterm. And after reflecting and looking at my actions, I realized that I do this when I feel like I don’t understand the material, so I push it off because I feel inadequate. This has helped me pinpoint my bad habit, and now I am in a better place to try and change it.Â
- If I could go back in time to a week ago, how would I change my actions in order to take better care of myself?
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This one is one that I try to do often, because it really helps me think about how my small actions are impacting my day to day wellbeing. It can be really easy to just sleep in another 15 minutes so you have to rush to class, or eat a bunch of junk food everyday because it’s convenient, but these habits added up can really take a toll on you. It can be really nice to look at what you’re doing during the day, and see if there is anything you can change to be less stressed and healthier overall.Â
- What am I currently doing a good job at?Â
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This one is so so important, because I’ve often found that when I think about journaling or reflecting, it tends to be things that I feel like I did wrong in, or things I could be better at. And it is so important to balance that with positive things about yourself as well, or else the negativity just spirals and it becomes so easy to feel like you just never do anything right. So I definitely recommend this one when you feel like you need some more self-love in your life, or just want to show yourself some appreciation!
- Start by listing 10 words to describe yourself. then, list 10 words you’d like to use to describe yourself. How could you make those descriptions reality?Â
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This one I actually got from a page of different journal prompts, and it immediately stuck out to me when I was reading through the list. I think this one is so interesting, and one that I will definitely be doing soon. One thing about this one though is to make sure that your initial list of descriptors is not all negative attributes. Again, as I said before, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in all the negative things, so you need to make sure that you’re actively counteracting that. But I think that imagining the person you want to be can be so beneficial and motivating, and this prompt is a great way to do that.Â
I really hope that one of these prompts strikes your fancy, and that you feel a little more inspired to try journaling! I promise, once you start, you won’t stop. It truly is worth the entire process. Happy writing!