15 journal prompts to increase self-reflection
Journaling can be a great way of expressing what is going on inside of you. Writing forces you to slow down your thinking and be more mindful of your words, leading you to reach a deeper understanding of what you are going through. This can help you gain insights that let you progress on your journey towards healing.
Engaging in journaling can take different forms. You can write a well-thought out piece or you can put the pen to the page (or fingers to the keyboard) and write without stopping about whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or silly it might seem. Journaling can also be done with images, whether you are drawing or collaging. A combination of words and images can be very powerful and express your experiences in a new way.
Sometimes the words just flow, but other times a prompt can be helpful. Following are 15 ideas to get you started.
1. What relationships matter the most to me? How can I maintain and improve them?
2. How have I changed and grown in the last year?
3. Make a list of how to manage your depression/anxiety/stress/other symptoms.
4. What is one thing you can do to improve yourself today? This week? This month? This year?
5. Write about someone whose life you have changed for the better. Explore how you can use that experience to help others.
6. What healthy habits do you have? What areas can you improve in?
7. What are things you can do in 15 minutes or less that improve your mood?
8. When was a time you felt content? What made you feel that way and how can you regain that feeling?
9. What do you want your life to look like next year? In five years? In ten years?
10. How do you handle rejection/fear/grief/other negative emotions? How can you be more prepared for those times in the future?
11.Write about an accomplishment you are proud of and what you did to get there. How can you use those skills in accomplishing other goals?
12. What memory do you cherish the most? How did that time impact your life?
13. Write a list of things that make you happy.
14. Who is someone you trust and can confide in? How can you be like this person for someone else?
15.What do you uniquely offer to this world? How can you use this to improve your surroundings?
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