Does Your Mental Health Need a Boost? Get Started With These 46 Journal Prompts

From taking a walk in nature to sweating it out at the gym , the small habits you incorporate into your daily routine can have big therapeutic benefits for stress, depression and anxiety . Here's another quick and easy practice to add to your regimen: journaling.

The idea of keeping a journal may seem intimidating, but it's easier than you might think. For starters, you don't have to be great with words to journal. It also doesn't require a lot of time. A few minutes a day can reap real benefits, whether you're tapping out your thoughts in an app or writing them with a fancy pen in an elegant book. (Even a scrap of paper or the back of a napkin works in a pinch.)

Despite its benefits, however, journaling shouldn't replace treatment by a mental health professional. "It does not take the place of therapy," says Chivonna Childs PhD , a counseling psychologist for Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. "It should be used in conjunction with therapy if the problems are of significant concern."

Think writing is right for you? Here's how to get started.

How Can Journaling Help Mental Health?

"Journaling can be a healthy way to express our innermost thoughts, get out our emotions or just empty our brains out," Childs says. Think of journaling as an outlet for your anxieties , troubles, worries and fears. It can help you find clarity in situations that feel confusing and make peace with issues that are upsetting. Fact: The simple act of writing about strong emotions can lessen their intensity. Plus, journaling about things that are going well in life can create a shift from a negative to a more positive mindset .

What does science say about journaling for mental health? Journaling is associated with increased well-being and decreased mental distress, depressive symptoms and anxiety, a small study by researchers at Pennsylvania State University found. Other research shows journaling may reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and that writing about things you're grateful for can improve your emotional state .

Just pay attention to how much you're dwelling or fixating on negative thoughts or memories in your journal, as this can have a harmful effect on health. "The downside to journaling occurs when we're perseverating on problems and not solutions," Childs says.

"Free-flow writing helps to make the invisible visible and leads to greater clarity," psychology researcher Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe says. "Putting things in writing can help shine a light on some of those thoughts, feelings, and ideas that tend to constantly swirl around our minds. So often, by the time we are finished getting them down on paper—whether that be on anything from a journal to a Post-It Note—we are already feeling better."

How to Get Started Journaling for Mental Health

There's no right or wrong way to journal. Some people prefer to journal first thing in the morning to get ready for their day, while others prefer to write at night as part of their bedtime routine. Choose a time that works best for you: When do you have a spare five to 10 minutes to yourself to journal? What time of day are you most stressed? Does your daily to-do list feel overwhelming? Do you have trouble sleeping because you can't quiet your mind?

"It should not feel like a pressure or a chore," Childs says. "If you want to start with five minutes a day, that's a good place. If you want to write until you're tired of writing, that's OK, too. Do what works for you."

One type of journal isn't necessarily better than another, either. The best journal is the one you'll use, whether it's a guided wellness or anxiety journal prefilled with prompts, a blank journal offering a clean slate for your thoughts, or an app or website.

"A great way to build gratitude journaling into your life is by habit stacking," Dafoe says. "By pairing gratitude journaling with a habit or ritual you already have in place, such as drinking your morning coffee, you increase the likelihood of maintaining the desired habit."

Different Journaling Techniques

A journaling technique Childs recommends to her patients is the "brain dump," where patients simply write down everything they're thinking. "It does not have to make sense," she says. "The only goal is to empty your mind of all the thoughts." This approach can be helpful for people who have racing thoughts, she adds, as "transplanting" those thoughts from mind to paper may ease some of the brain's frenetic pace.

Related: 103 Anxiety Quotes to Help You Get Through and Lift Your Spirits

Plus, over time, certain patterns or recurring thoughts may emerge in the writing. "This can also be a good way to organize your thoughts and see what themes are present, which might cue you to focus on areas you need to give attention to," Childs adds.

Bullet journaling is another method that's approachable, particularly for those who are new to journaling. You simply make bullet points of your thoughts as they come—no need for connected sentences or paragraphs. You could purchase a dedicated bullet journal , which typically looks more like a planner, or you could just make a list in a basic journal or on an app .

And finally, another easy type of journaling to try is a gratitude journal, which can help shift focus to the positive parts of your life. At the beginning or end of each day, take a few minutes to jot down a few things you're grateful for—from the great cup of coffee you enjoyed in the morning to the sloppy kisses your dog gave you after work.

46 Journal Prompts for Mental Health

Want to write but not sure where to start? Choose a writing prompt from this list and write whatever comes to mind. Childs has included some of her favorites from this list , as well:

Related: 40 Mental Health Quotes to Lift Your Spirits and Help You Feel Less Alone

1. List 5 things you're grateful for today.
2. What do you like most about your personality ?
3. Whom do you trust the most? Why?
4. What are your strengths in friendships or relationships (e.g., kindness, empathy)?
5. What do you most want for your children (or future children)?
6. How do you draw strength from loved ones?
7. What boundaries could you set in your relationships to safeguard your own wellbeing?
8. What do you value most in your relationships, with romantic partners, friends or family?
9. What five traits do you value most in potential partners?
10. Write a love letter to yourself.
11. What are three important lessons have you learned from previous relationships?
12. What are three things that are working well in your current relationship?
13. What are three things that could be better in your current relationship?
14. How do you show compassion to others? How can you extend that same compassion to yourself?
15. I get anxious when _____________.
16. When do you feel most happy?
17. What was one moment of joy or beauty you experienced today?
18. Describe a place where you feel most relaxed and peaceful.
19. Write a letter of forgiveness to yourself.
20. What or who motivates you the most?
21. Share an act of selflessness or kindness you did for someone. How did it feel to do this?
22. What was your favorite story or book as a child? Why did you like it so much?
23. What's the most rewarding part of your work?
24. What's your favorite part of your day?
25. Which parts of your daily life cause the most stress or frustration? How do you cope with them?

Some of Dafoe's favorite journal prompts include:

26. Who do you want to be? What are the roles, identities, and traits that truly fit with the person you want to become?
27.When and where do you feel truly seen?
28. What micro-wins and micro-moments of joy did you experience today?
29. When was the last time you felt awestruck or inspired?
30.Where are you currently putting your time and energy? Does this align with what matters most to you?
31.Are there any thoughts or emotions that may be weighing you down or no longer serving you positively? Can you give yourself permission to release them?
32.Reflecting back on your last year, what worked well for you? How can you get more of this into today?
33. Where do you find yourself emotionally most of the time? What are the habits and behaviors that cultivate your desired emotional home?
34.What are the behaviors that are bringing you closer to or further away from your desired future self?
35.Consider your day, week, or month ahead. What can you do proactively to make "later" feel easier and more manageable?
36.What parts of you need extra support right now?

Psychologist and therapist Natasha P. Trujillo, Ph.D. , recommends regular check-ins with yourself that you can do through your journaling practice. She loves the following prompts that can help you unpack complicated emotions (and, if needed, can help you communicate more easily with a professional mental health clinician about what's going on):

37.What daily practices or mindset shifts have helped you build resilience in your life?
38.Before a big presentation, event, or performance, I calm my nerves and sharpen my focus by ______.
39.What are you longing for?
40.Visualize a calming place or situation. What does it look like? What does it sound like? What does it smell like? How can you incorporate these elements into your everyday life, even if you're physically somewhere else?
41.How do different emotions manifest in your body?
42.How you speak to yourself determines how you feel. When was the last time you spoke kindly to yourself? Can you give yourself a sincere compliment right now?
43.Discomfort is unavoidable, but you can choose which discomfort is worth enduring. What sort of discomfort are you willing to endure to reach a goal? What types of discomfort are dealbreakers for you?
44.When was the last time you asked someone for support? What type of support did you need and what type of support did you receive?
45.When was the last time you failed at something? What did you learn? How did you improve afterward?
46.When was the last time you felt successful and fulfilled? How did you celebrate? How can you celebrate your small wins every day?

Additional Resources:If you're concerned about your mental health and want to seek help, Childs recommends contacting a local mental health center or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) or Crisis Text Line (text "HELLO" to 741741 for free).

Sources

• Chivonna Childs PhD ., counseling psychologist for Cleveland Clinic in Ohio

• Natasha P. Trujillo, Ph.D. , therapist and psychologist in Denver, Colorado
  

• Robyne Hanley-Dafoe , psychology researcher in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• University of Rochester Medical Center : "Journaling for Mental Health."

• JMIR Mental Health : "Online Positive Affect Journaling in the Improvement of Mental Distress and Well-being in General Medical Patients With Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial."

• British Journal of Clinical Psychology : "Written emotional disclosure following first-episode psychosis: Effects on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder."

• American Psychological Association : "Nurtured by Nature."

• American Psychological Association : "A new reason for keeping a diary."

• PsychCentral : "The Health Benefits of Journaling."

• Annals of Behavioral Medicine : "Journaling about stressful events: Effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression."