10 Therapeutic Journaling Prompts for Mental Health
There comes a time in each of our lives when we become overwhelmed with stress or anxiety. Our emotions bundle up inside of us in need of an outlet. Your mental health is so important and that’s why it’s especially important to do things that help maintain a positive headspace. Journaling can be a powerful tool for releasing the weight of your stress and anxiety, allowing you a space to express yourself and feel your emotions.
If you’re in need of a mood boost, try these simple, yet effective, writing prompts for your mental health:
- Write about how you’re feeling today, physically and emotionally.
If you’re feeling down, write about it. If you’re stressed, let it out. Sometimes it helps to put all those emotions down on paper so that they are no longer swirling around in your head. Make sure to not only identify how you’re feeling emotionally, but also physically. Our bodies tend to carry the weight of our emotions and identifying those emotions can help relieve some of that tension.
- Write about what could make today better.
We can choose to do things for ourselves each day. Identify a few things you can do tomorrow that would have made today better. Maybe giving back would have provided you with a sense of calm. Maybe you could have shown yourself some self-love with a spa day. Whatever it is, write it down.
- Make a list of things you’re grateful for.
Gratitude can actually boost your mood. Remind yourself of all the things you’re grateful for and feel the weight of negativity disappear from your day.
- Make a list of positive affirmations for yourself.
What do you need to hear right now? Perhaps revisit this list next time you need a dose of positivity.
- Describe your happy place.
Thinking happy thoughts can actually make you feel happier. Write about a place that brings you joy and peace. Maybe it’s a spot you vacation to each year or maybe it’s a place you went once as a child and will never forget. How did it make you feel? What about this place made you happy?
- Write down three ways you’ve grown in the last five years.
We often times become so overwhelmed with thinking of everything that still needs to be done, we forget to acknowledge how far we’ve come.
- Write a love letter to yourself.
Try writing in the third person. Give yourself some self-love and write about all the things you love most about yourself. What are you proud of? What are your strengths?
- Write a list of quotes that inspire you.
What are some quotes you gravitate towards when you’re feeling down? Make a list and re-read them when you need some inspiration.
- Write down your favorite childhood memory.
Take yourself back to a time when things were easy. What were you doing? How did you feel?
- Make a list of goals and intentions.
If you’re having a hard time staying focused, start small. What are some small goals? Perhaps you’d rather think big and focus on larger intentions. Where do you want to end up? What do you want to accomplish? Notice how these goals make you feel.