Journaling Prompts for Starting Out
New to journaling and unsure of where to start? I got you.
Starting a journaling practice can feel overwhelming. Do you free associate or write based on some pre-determined plan? There are a lot of different ways you can utilize journaling to help center yourself and work through whatever is going on in your life.
Where do you start? Prompts. Starting with a prompt is a great way to get yourself in the habit of journaling and there are countless prompts available to you online so it's really easy to pick and choose what will work for you.
If you're really new, I recommend starting with list-based prompts. They're also great if you want to start journaling but can only commit 5-10 minutes per day. Some examples of list-based prompts are:
Gratitude Lists - Self-explanatory, just list out things you are grateful for. I find that this is really effective in the mornings as a way to start your day off on a grateful foot.
"I am" Statement Lists - List out "I am" statements that are empowering to you. Things like, "I am strong," "I am worthy of love," and "I am a badass boss babe."
Rewriting False Beliefs - Make a T-Chart and on the left side, write a series of negative beliefs or beliefs you'd like to change, such as, "I am fat." On the other side you will write a new, empowering belief and then cross out the false belief. For example, "I am fat," becomes "I have kick-ass curves and am sexy as hell."
Event and Result Lists - List out events that have occurred in your life recently and what the result of those events were. This can help get you thinking about what has benefited you, what's serving you, what isn't serving you and what you want to revisit and work on.
I Feel, Because Lists - Start by listing out 3-5 feelings, such as "I feel excited to..." and "I feel scared about." Then finish the sentence and dig into why you feel that way. An example of a finished statement might be, "I feel excited to go to Palm Springs because it's going to be a great few days for me to recharge and focus on my end of year goals."
Have more time or looking to expand on your journaling practice? Try some more long answer-based prompts. Think of these as a means to prompt journaling entries anywhere from 3 sentences to multiple pages long. Some examples of these are:
Letter Writing - Write a letter to yourself or someone in your life. This letter does not need to be sent but it can be a great way to get your feelings onto paper and possibly help guide you in a future conversation you've been anticipating.
Where I'll Be... - Think about where you want to be in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years and 10 years. Journal on what you see for yourself and how you may or may not get there. Reflect on what's serving you and what isn't serving you reaching your goals.
What Kind of Person... - Think about who you were this year or who you want to be next year and describe that person. What can you do to get there and what have you learned from your recent experiences? This does not need to be limited to a year, it could be reflecting on the type of person you were at an event and how you want to improve upon that for the next event.