The stress is real these days (okay, these last couple of years). We know that long walks in nature, meditation, and exercise can help boost your mood, but if you’re looking for something new to add into your mental health routine, you might want to try mindful journal prompts.
For anyone who finds themselves a little over-stressed or struggling with their everyday battles (and who isn’t?), Eden Garcia-Balis, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and CEO of Airport Marina Counseling Service, says journaling can be a great way to slow down, look inside yourself and even get clarity on the priorities in your life.
“Mental health professionals have found that journaling can help people discover their ‘why’ and give them clear direction to move forward,” she tells SheKnows. “With our busy lives, it can be easy to do things the same way you have always done them, flying on auto-pilot and never really considering how your decisions impact your life and those of the people around you. By being truly mindful of everything you do, it becomes more and more clear what is important in life and what is not.”
According to Dr. Jaime Zuckerman journal prompts allow for what’s called cognitive diffusion, or the ability to be objective to your own thoughts and emotions. “It allows you to look at your thoughts rather than being tangled up in them. It gives you a sense of clarity.”
Additionally, says Dr. Zuckerman, journal prompts also allow for you to track your mood, thoughts and behaviors across various scenarios, timeframes and in response to triggers, enabling you to see your progress (and pitfalls) over time.
“Mindfulness similarly gives you that same objectivity and clarity. It allows you to look at your thoughts as simply passing by,” she says. “Mindfulness allows you to ground yourself in the moment. By using your senses to take in your surroundings, you can anchor yourself in the present.”
If you’re not sure how to start a journaling practice, Dr. Zuckerman recommends finding a time of day and place that will have limited interruption, and ideally a time that you can stick to daily: “Start slow. Maybe five minutes once a day and gradually increase over time,” she says.”Be patient with yourself. Being mindful and hyper aware of your thoughts and feelings takes lots of practice. Be gentle on yourself. Mindfulness and journaling can also bring up uncomfortable (and previously avoided) thoughts and feelings.”
Below are fifteen journal prompts provided by experts to help you get in touch with your mind, body, and soul, and hopefully provide some relief in a topsy turvy world.
Notice tension
Paying attention to your body can be a great way to become truly present.
Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings
Without judgement, try and reflect on your day or week and various situations you’ve been in and consider how you think and feel about them.
Envision the future
Goal-setting is a great way to consider your long- and short-term needs and wants.
Acknowledge your patterns
Think about the things you struggle with try to (without judgement) consider your patterns.
What brings you joy?
“It is important to be honest when journaling — after all journals are all about you, so there’s no need to hold back your feelings or worry about someone else reading your innermost thoughts,” Garcia-Balis says. “By being honest, you can discover new things about yourself, your life and what is truly important.”
What risks have you taken?
Ask yourself questions and try to honestly reflect on those answers.
What values are important to you?
Your value-system is an important thing to reflect on, reconsider and celebrate regularly.
What’s your first impression?
While the way other people percieve you isn’t the end-all be-all, it’s interesting to consider yourself from another POV.
How can you take better are of yourself?
Self-care can look like so many different things — consider what you need to feel like you’re doing right by you.
What do you look forward to?
A good way to zero in on what excites you and brings you joy.
Express gratitude
“Mindfulness prompts help you explore your mind at different levels. They allow you to genuinely think through any decisions and keep you in tune with your emotions,” Dr. Haley Perlus, Sport and Performance Psychology PhD says. “This prompt reminds you to appreciate what you have and reflect on the good that happened throughout the day.”
What’s causing you stress?
“This prompt can help you talk through problem-solving and put things in perspective,” Perlus says.
What’s got you smiling?
“This helps you reflect on the good things that happened throughout your day,” Perlus says.
What can I do differently?
“This prompt helps you reflect not only on your day but also on how you can improve yourself or even your mindset,” Perlus says.
What are you looking forward to?
“Whether you’re journaling at the beginning or end of your day, this prompt helps you remember the good coming your way,” Perlus says. “If you can’t think of three things, it can help you contemplate what you should be looking at or doing differently.”
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