10 daily journal prompts to boost your mental health
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Discover why daily journaling is a beneficial self-care practice and how to do it. Plus, 10 journal prompts, topics, and ideas for mental health.
Mental health is increasingly recognized as a critical aspect of our overall wellbeing, and journaling can have benefits for enhancing self-discovery and mental health. There are many different journaling methods, so if you’re looking to get started, it can be helpful to have a few daily journal prompts tailored to support you in caring for your mental health.
The benefits of journaling for mental health
Journaling can have a powerful positive impact on your mental health and bring significant improvements to your wellbeing. Some benefits of journaling include:
Promoting a sense of calm
Increasing self-awareness
Providing a different perspective
Cultivating gratitude and positivity
Enhancing problem-solving skills
Improving memory and comprehension
Reducing stress and anxiety
Supporting emotional healing
How to start a journaling practice
Journaling can be extremely rewarding, but beginning your journaling practice may feel a bit overwhelming. Let these simple steps guide you in building a practice so you can support your mental health and gain a valuable outlet for your emotions. Always remember that there's no right or wrong way to journal—it's personal to everyone.
Choose your journaling tools
Select a journal or writing tool that you feel comfortable with. This could be a traditional notebook, a digital app, or a document on your computer. Some people find that the ritual and feel of pen and paper makes the experience more meaningful, while others prefer the convenience of digital tools, so choose something that feels right for you.
Set a routine
Consistency is important in journaling, so decide on a time that works for you. Maybe it’s in the morning to set the tone for your day or in the evening as a way to unwind. Make journaling a regular part of your day, just like eating or sleeping.
💙 There’s no right or wrong way to establish routines, but sometimes you need a starting point. This episode of the Daily Jay tackles starting New Routines (and keeping them).
Embrace free-writing
When you start journaling, don't worry about structure or rules. You might like to try free writing, which means writing down whatever comes to your mind without censoring yourself. This can be a liberating way to express your thoughts and feelings, as your journal should be a judgment-free zone.
Be honest and open
The most significant benefit of journaling comes from being honest with yourself. Write about your true feelings and thoughts, as it can be incredibly cathartic and insightful when you listen to yourself without external influences.
💙 Practice Non-Judgment in order to become more honest and open in your writing (and your life).
Don't worry about the outcome
Journaling is about the process, not the product. You don't need to create a masterpiece or have profound revelations every time you write. Sometimes, the simple act of writing is enough to bring clarity and relief.
Review and reflect
Periodically, take time to read through your past entries. Reflecting back on what you’ve written can provide valuable insights into your growth over time. You might notice patterns or changes in your thoughts and feelings, which can be incredibly enlightening.
💙 Explore The Power of Reflection, and how reviewing your past entries can help you visualize and validate your thoughts, experiences, and how far you’ve come in life
Keep it private and safe
Ensure your journal is kept in a private and secure place. This privacy allows you to be open and honest in your writing. Knowing that your thoughts are safe can encourage a deeper level of self-expression.
7 types of journaling for mental health
Everyone has their own style, needs, and preferences, which is why there are various methods of journaling for mental health. Finding the type that can be tailored to your personal goals will make your journaling experience more enjoyable and effective, so experiment and find what works best for you.
1. Prompt-based journaling
Sometimes, starting with a blank page can be daunting. Prompt-based journaling, like these prompts to manage anxiety, provides specific questions or topics to guide your writing. Using prompts can be particularly helpful if you're not sure what to write about. Prompts can range from simple questions like, "How does my body feel right now?" to even more in-depth questions like, "How did a recent challenge make me stronger?"
2. Gratitude journaling
This method involves writing down things you’re thankful for. It's a practice that helps shift your focus to the positive aspects of your life, fostering a sense of appreciation and happiness. Gratitude journaling can be as simple as listing three things each day that brought you joy or comfort.
3. Artistic journaling
If you're more visually inclined, artistic journaling might be your preferred method. Following this method, you would include drawing, doodling, painting, or pasting pictures in your journal. It's a creative way to express your emotions and thoughts without relying solely on words.
4. Bullet journaling
If you prefer a more structured approach, bullet journaling can be effective. You begin by making lists or bullet points to organize your thoughts. It can be especially useful for setting goals, tracking habits, or jotting down quick thoughts and reflections.
5. Mindfulness journaling
Mindfulness journaling involves writing about your current experiences, feelings, and thoughts in a non-judgmental way. Mindfulness journaling can help you stay grounded and connected to the present moment.
6. Reflective journaling
Reflective journaling is about looking back at your experiences and learning from them. This could involve writing about a recent event, your reaction to it, and what you learned from it. It can be a great way to gain insights into your personal growth and development.
7. Therapeutic journaling
This type of journaling is often used as a tool for coping with stress, anxiety, or depression. It involves writing about your deepest thoughts and feelings, which can be a powerful way to process emotions and heal.
10 daily journaling prompts for mental health
With the right prompts to guide your thoughts, journaling can be an enlightening and therapeutic practice. These prompts are designed to help you explore your feelings, reflect on your experiences, and discover insights about yourself. There's no right or wrong way to respond to these prompts. They’re simply meant to inspire and guide you as you explore your inner world.
1. What is your ideal self-care routine?
How does your self-care routine boost your mental health? Take as much time as you need and go into as much detail as you like. If you don’t have a solid self-care routine, let yourself daydream about the practices you’d like to try.
2. What is a hope or dream you have for your future that you haven't told anyone?
There’s no need to be practical here. Allow yourself to feel warm and fuzzy about the hopes and dreams you have.
3. What was a moment where you overcame self-doubt?
How did this affect your self-confidence? How did you feel after you did this? If you don’t feel like you’ve ever overcome self-doubt, how might you like to accomplish this in the future?
4. How has your support system helped you overcome challenges?
What do you love most about how people in your life support you during tough times?
5. List 10 things that bring joy to your life, big or small.
There are no wrong answers here. Your list doesn’t have to be impressive. It could be a donut and a cup of tea. It could be a great novel and a talk with your mother. Whatever gives you joy.
6. When were you resilient in the face of a setback?
What did you learn from this? What would you do again? What would you do differently? This can be a way to really zero in on what’s working for you when life gets tough, and where you might need to give a bit more attention.
7. What are some personal qualities you attribute to someone with strong mental health?
If you’re hoping to improve your mental health, what does that look like? When you think of a person who has great mental health, what qualities do they possess that you might like to emulate?
8. Create an outline for your dreams.
Include the steps you might take to achieve them. These can be big steps, or small steps. Sometimes seeing what you want and how you’d get there on paper makes it more tangible and easier to begin that process.
9. Write a letter to a lost loved one.
Focus on the positive influence this person had on your life. This could be a treasured family member or a friend. Even listing the qualities about them that you admired can be inspiring.
10. How do you handle stressful situations?
What sort of coping strategies do you lean on? What do you do that works for you? What do you do that maybe doesn’t work for you as well?
Journal prompts for mental health FAQs
What should I write in my mental health journal?
Writing in a mental health journal is all about expressing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a way that feels right for you. You can write about your day, your dreams for the future, or even just how you're feeling at the moment. It's a place to be honest and open with yourself. You might want to explore your reactions to certain situations, your goals and aspirations, or simply use your journal as a space to unload your thoughts and worries. The key is to write freely and without judgment. This journal is for you and you alone, so there's no need to worry about grammar or making sense. It's all about getting those thoughts out of your head and onto paper.
What are the therapeutic journal prompts for mental health?
Therapeutic journal prompts are designed to help you explore your emotions, work through challenges, and reflect on your personal growth. They can range from simple prompts like, "Name three things you’re thankful for today," to more complex prompts like, "How do I usually handle stress, and what can I do to manage it better?"
Other prompts might include reflecting on a happy memory, writing about a personal achievement, or exploring your response to a difficult situation. These prompts are meant to guide you through self-reflection and introspection, helping you understand yourself better and work toward a healthier state of mind.
Can journaling be beneficial for children or teenagers dealing with mental health challenges?
Journaling can be a great tool for children and teenagers who are working through mental health challenges. It provides them with a private space to express their feelings, sort through their thoughts, and make sense of their experiences. Journaling can help young people develop self-awareness, improve their emotional regulation, and build coping skills. It can be particularly useful for those who might find it difficult to articulate their feelings verbally.
By encouraging children and teenagers to write in a journal, you're giving them a safe and accessible way to explore their emotions and relieve stress. It's important, however, to ensure that they understand the purpose of the journal and feel comfortable with the practice. Encouraging them to write regularly can help them develop a healthy habit that supports their mental wellbeing.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.
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