15 Writing Prompts to Help You Begin Your Journaling Journey
Have you ever wanted to try journaling but weren’t sure where to start? What are you supposed to write about? What kind of thing can we say?
These are the kinds of questions that can emerge when we’re at the start of our journaling journey and it’s totally normal. The open and free nature of journaling can be great, but it can also feel overwhelming, and it can be hard to know where to begin. Sometimes, it’s easier when there is a guide to follow, when we have a starting point given to us.
So Why Try Journaling?
There is great value in giving journaling a try. So many of us face challenges, difficulties, and setbacks at some point in our lives, and journaling can be a friendly hand to help guide us through these experiences. Getting those words out of our minds and on to the page can be a powerful emotional release.
Journaling is all about emptying our thoughts onto the page. It can lead to self-discovery, to new clarity and personal revelations. Something that initially confused us can become clear. We can discover positives in a situation we thought was only negative all through writing. It’s like a personal flashlight, shining a light on things we didn’t see before. Re-reading old journal entries can be enlightening too. Time and distance often help us find new perspective in things.
A journal is personal and private. We don’t have to show it to anyone else, don’t need to write to a professional standard. We can get everything out in a safe space, with the comfort of knowing nobody else will see it unless we choose to show them.
How to Journal?
There are no rules when it comes to journaling. Our journal can be a physical notebook, a Word document, notes on our phone. It can take any form we want it to. There’s no pressure to write to a specific word count or deadline. You can write 50 words or 500. You can write for five minutes or an hour. You have complete control over your journaling process. The heart of journaling is its personal essence. It’s all about how it helps us.
Just sit down and write. It’s as easy and as hard as that.
15 Journaling Prompts For Beginners
We’ve created some writing prompts to help you begin your journaling journey. If your words get stuck, you can turn to these prompts to help kick-start those journaling ideas…
What is dominating your thoughts today? What is it that is making you focus so much on this particular thing?
What three values are most important to you?
What life event has had the most impact on you?
Write about you somebody you miss and what you would say to them.
What three things would you like to do in the future?
Write a conversation between yourself and the emotion of worry.
If you could give yourself one life mantra to live by, what would it be?
What do you do to relax or recharge?
List the five things in the world that make you happiest.
List three ways in which your life is different from a year ago.
Think about your younger self. What advice would give? What lessons have you learnt since that time?
Think about an encounter you’ve had with a stranger. Maybe they did something amazing. Maybe they did something that made you angry. Whatever it was, write a letter to them.
Write about something you’ve never told anyone.
Describe yourself in five words. Try expanding on a couple of these and explore why you see yourself that way.
What is your favourite book or film or song and what do you find so captivating about it?
We hope these prompts help inspire you as you begin your journaling journey! Remember, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to your journal. It can be anything you want it to be, it can say anything you want it to say. Focus on just getting those words down and see what emerges. Delve into that creative courage to help you.
How do you feel about journaling? Have you experienced benefits from it, or is it something you’ve not tried before? Get in touch and let us know! We love to hear all about your writing experiences. If you like this post, we think you’ll like to learn about Morning Pages.
