Journaling, that is, regularly writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, provides a safe space for people to express their emotions and reflect on what’s going on in their lives. This type of expressive writing is helpful to anyone, but especially for those with mental health issues.
While mental health journaling is often encouraged, deciding what to write about can be hard for some people. Sometimes, we need a little push in the right direction.
That’s where mental health writing prompts come in. Writing prompts are short statements, questions, or phrases designed to inspire creativity, provide a starting point for your writing, or help overcome writing blocks. Many different mental health writing prompts can help get your creative juices flowing so you can best express yourself.
Key Points
- Mental health journal prompts can help get you on track and realize the benefits that come with journaling.
- Mental health writing prompts can include ones that help to express gratitude, those that help with emotional regulation, and those that help with anxiety and depression.
- Be consistent with your journaling and have a comfortable space to journal.
- Benefits of mental health journaling include setting goals and solving problems.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to what to write in a journal for mental health. Mental health writing prompts can support emotional regulation as well as encourage self-reflection and general well-being.
Many times, the prompts that work for you change daily, depending on how you’re feeling or what’s going on in your life.
How to Journal
Besides thinking of what to write, it’s also important to know how the process can work.[1]
- Decide if you’re going to use a handwritten journal or a digital journal.
- Remain consistent, and make journaling part of your daily routine so you can reap all of the benefits journaling has to offer.
- Have a comfortable location to journal.
- Start small and work your way up to more journaling to increase your mental well-being.
- Consider drawing as well as writing about your emotions and feelings.
Remember, you don’t have to share your journal with anyone. It’s your journal and your rules.
What Prompts Help?
Several different types of journaling and prompts can help when you start your expressive writing on your mental health journey. Many times, they are separated into different categories to better help you decide what you feel like writing about, depending on what’s going on in your daily life.
Emotional Regulation
Writing prompts that support emotional regulation help you to identify your emotions and express them. If you’re just starting to journal, you may want to use straightforward prompts that are easy. As you get more comfortable, you may become more expressive in your journaling.
Examples of emotional regulation prompts include:
- How do you feel right now, and what is leading to those feelings?
- If you could give your feelings a voice, what would they say?
- What emotions have you felt most recently?
- What makes you feel most inspired?
- What are 3 things about your time that you want people to know?
- If you could improve any aspect of your life, what would it be and why?‘
Stress Management
Journaling can help to manage stress because it encourages you to work through emotions that can be adversely affecting your well-being. These types of prompts allow you to take a closer look at your feelings so that you can better identify your stressors and understand them when they appear.
Here are some prompts to consider:
- How do you help yourself when things get tough?
- Do you allow yourself to feel the emotions you need to feel?
- What is your go-to coping mechanism when times get tough? How can you improve that?
- Write a letter of forgiveness to someone who has hurt you.
Self-Compassion
Using self-compassion prompts can help you have a more positive outlook about yourself.
- Write a letter of forgiveness to yourself for a mistake you’ve made.
- Talk about what self-compassion means to you.
- Think about a time when you showed yourself understanding in a situation.
- When was the last time you treated yourself nicely?
Anxiety and Depression
It’s estimated that one in five adults in the U.S. has some type of mental illness, with anxiety and depression being the most common disorders. [2] Discovering mental health writing prompts that help people deal with anxiety and depression is important.
These are some prompts to try if you want to tackle anxiety and depression:
- Talk about why you feel anxious. Are your fears based on facts or misconceptions?
- What triggers your feelings of anxiety?
- Name one thing you can do to ease your anxiety.
- What are you grateful for now that can help to ease your anxiety?
- What activities or people make you happy?
- Describe situations that have allowed you to feel proud of yourself.
Mindfulness Prompts
Practicing mindfulness can help people deal with mental health issues. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing your awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Bringing this into your journaling can help to improve your overall wellness.
Mental health journal prompts to increase mindfulness can look like this:
- Think about a moment you felt totally present.
- Describe sounds, smells, and sights that bring you calmness.
- How can you increase mindfulness during difficult times?
- What is one thing you can let go of today?
Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude journaling can help you realize all of the things you have to be thankful for in your daily life.
These mental health writing prompts are often helpful:
- Think of the things you are grateful for and why.
- What is one thing you appreciate about yourself?
- What is one experience you are thankful for having?
- Describe one beautiful thing you saw today.
- Do you have a favorite childhood memory? Look back and write about it and why it is your favorite.
- What was one time you helped someone? How did it make you feel?
General Mental Health Journal Prompts
Here are some other ideas to consider as you start your mental health journal to increase self-awareness and self-discovery:
- Write about one thing you’ve learned about yourself this week.
- How did you handle stress in your life?
- What is one thing you would have changed today?
- Describe one way you made your mental health a priority today.
- Think about one change you’ve always wanted to make and what held you back.
- Write down the qualities you like about yourself and how they make you a good person.
How Can Journaling Support Mental Health?
Many benefits of journaling can help you to make self-care a priority as you seek personal growth.
Reduces Anxiety
Journaling has been shown to reduce anxiety. Writing about what is worrying you and making you anxious can help to release worries.[3]
Increases Self-Awareness
Using mental health writing prompts can help you to reflect on specific day-to-day thought patterns and behaviors. Daily journal prompts can also help to create space and distance from past and future events.
Solves Problems
When you see your challenges on paper, it can make finding solutions easier. You can also feel accomplished when you know you’ve solved the problems you’ve described.
Helps to Set and Achieve Goals
Journaling can include writing down your goals. This can help you keep track of what you want for your future self. It not only helps to keep you accountable, but also gives you a sense of accomplishment when you reach the goals you wrote about in your journal.
To make sure you get the most out of your journaling process, you also want to incorporate self-care. Get plenty of rest, eat a nutritious diet, and get plenty of exercise. Doing these things will enhance your well-being as you journal and learn more about yourself.
Discover Other Techniques that Support Mental Health
Maintaining a journaling practice is just one method that can support mental health. Seeking out other treatment methods can also help process emotions and improve mental health.