Journaling is a great exercise for everyone, but especially for writers. Just like an athlete, writing a journal strengthens you and could even help you overcome that dreaded writer’s block.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, journaling can be a great therapeutic practice, especially if you keep a gratitude journal.
Benefits of Journaling
Keeping a journal has a number of proven mental health benefits, including help with managing anxiety, reducing stress, and coping with depression.
How can writing down your thoughts be such a powerful remedy? Well, when you keep a journal, you’re helping yourself to prioritize your problems and concerns, while also tracking your symptoms (even if you don’t realize it in the moment, you can always look back to see how your feelings have changed or improved).
Once you’ve identified the things that are causing you stress, you can begin to work on finding solutions that cut right to the core of the problem.
But journaling can also help you to combat writer’s block by getting those ideas flowing and onto paper. This can be especially effective when you have some helpful journal prompts to spark your imagination and get those wheels turning.
72 Journal Prompts to Inspire You
If you want to get inspired to reach your goals, clear your head, or just get fresh ideas, you may want to give journaling a try.
Below are 72 journal prompts to help you get started.
| Journal Prompts | |
|---|---|
| 1 | When I’m in pain—physical or emotional—the kindest thing I can do for myself is… |
| 2 | Make a list of the people in your life who genuinely support you, and who you can genuinely trust. |
| 3 | What does unconditional love look like for you? |
| 4 | What would you do if you loved yourself unconditionally? How can you act on these things whether you do or don’t? |
| 5 | I really wish others knew this about me… |
| 6 | Name what is enough for you. |
| 7 | If my body could talk, it would say… |
| 8 | Name a compassionate way you’ve supported a friend recently. Then write down how you can do the same for yourself. |
| 9 | What do you love about life? |
| 10 | What always brings tears to your eyes? |
| 11 | Write about a time when work felt real to you, necessary and satisfying. Paid or unpaid, professional or domestic, physical or mental. |
| 12 | Write about your first love—whether a person, place, or thing. |
| 13 | Using 10 words, describe yourself. |
| 14 | What’s surprised you the most about your life or life in general? |
| 15 | What can you learn from your biggest mistakes? |
| 16 | I feel most energized when… |
| 17 | Write a list of questions to which you urgently need answers. |
| 18 | Make a list of everything that inspires you—from books to websites, to quotes, people, paintings, stores, or the stars. |
| 19 | What’s one topic you need to learn more about to help you live a more fulfilling life? |
| 20 | I feel happiest in my skin when… |
| 21 | Make a list of everything you’d like to say no to. |
| 22 | Make a list of everything you’d like to say yes to. |
| 23 | Write the words you need to hear. |
| 24 | What makes you angry? |
| 25 | If dogs could talk, what would yours say? |
| 26 | Name a character flaw you have. |
| 27 | Create a story from a recent dream. Jot down everything you remember, and then fill in the gaps to make it flow smoothly. |
| 28 | What do you see outside your window right now? If you are not near a window, what do you think the world is like on the other side of the wall next to you? |
| 29 | List the 5 people you spend the most time with, why, and how they’re affecting you—your behaviors, your thoughts, your life. |
| 30 | What is your favorite song/musical piece and why? |
| 31 | List the top 5 people you admire, and why. |
| 32 | Who is your favorite person in all the world and why? |
| 33 | Create a list of “pet peeves” and explain why each one made the list. What makes you happy, sad, or anxious? |
| 34 | What music do you regularly listen to and why? How do you feel after listening to it? |
| 35 | What ways can you think of to get more happiness into your life? Create a step-by-step plan to make it happen! |
| 36 | List your top 5 favorite books/movies, and your reasons for choosing them. |
| 37 | If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be and why? |
| 38 | What was the most painful thing you ever went through? What did you learn from it? |
| 39 | If you didn’t have to worry about money or people’s opinions, what would you do with your life? |
| 40 | What was your childhood dream and why? What happened to that dream and why? |
| 41 | If you could go back and do a particular vacation over, how would you change things to make it awesome instead of a failed vacation? |
| 42 | What about your life makes you miserable? What do you know you need to give up? |
| 43 | How do you spend your time? On a weekday? On a weekend? |
| 44 | How do you spend your money? |
| 45 | Create an ideal budget for your time and money based on percentages (Ex with finances: 10% donations, 40% to live on, 20% to support family, 15% taxes, 10% savings, 5% fun stuff, etc.) Why is this your ideal budget? |
| 46 | What is a book you wish someone would write? |
| 47 | What is the next thing you want to learn? And to what degree? |
| 48 | Define the following: Success. Wisdom. Love. Faith. Truth. Courage. Joy. |
| 49 | What do you think God is like? |
| 50 | List all the things you think you should do, that you don’t want to do. |
| 51 | List all the things you think you should not do, but do. Why do you think you do them? |
| 52 | If your house burned to the ground, what are the top 1–3 things you would want to save? |
| 53 | What is the most amazing animal you can think of? What makes this animal amazing in your eyes? Try using it in a story setting, or write up an article about it. |
| 54 | What were you doing in your earliest memories of your mom/dad/a grandparent, how old were you, and where were you when these memories originally took place? |
| 55 | Who is your best friend? What makes him/her so likable? |
| 56 | Write about some of the adventures you’ve had with your best friend. Don’t forget to create a character profile for your friend, as well as a physical description. |
| 57 | Think back to your first job interview—the one where you didn’t get the job. What could you have done differently? |
| 58 | Think about your first job: why did you leave? |
| 59 | How was your next job different? |
| 60 | My favorite way to spend the day is… |
| 61 | If I could talk to my teenage self, the one thing I would say is… |
| 62 | What are two moments from your life that you’ll never forget? Describe them in great detail, and what makes them so unforgettable. |
| 63 | Make a list of 30 things that make you smile. |
| 64 | The words I’d like to live by are… |
| 65 | I couldn’t imagine living without… |
| 66 | What were the “office dynamics” like at your first job? |
| 67 | If you had been in management, how would you have changed the way things were run? |
| 68 | What has been your favorite job so far? |
| 69 | How has the job changed your life? |
| 70 | Think about all the vacations you’ve had in your life. Which one was the most fun? |
| 71 | Think about a time when you messed up—how would life be different if you hadn’t? What can you do today to fix a past mistake? |
| 72 | Write about where you went on your best vacation and what you did and who you met. Which one was the most adventuresome? Which was the biggest fail? |
Start Your Journal
Keeping a journal is a beneficial activity for anyone. Find the best notebooks and best pens to help you get started! You can also download this list of journal prompts and start writing today.
And if you’re interested in trying out a bullet journal, check out our layouts and tips for bullet journaling.
What do you like to write about in your journal? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
For more writing tips, check out these resources:
- Gratitude Journals: How and Why to Start Being Mindfully Thankful
- Bullet Journal Tips: Amazing Handwriting to Inspire You
- The Best Supplies for Your Bullet Journal
- Bullet Journal Layouts for Writers: 8 Ideas for Creative Organization (and some bonus examples)
- What to Do When You Get Writer’s Block, Feel Stuck or Just Don’t Know What to Write
