21 Journal Prompts For Beginners Who Want To Build A Habit

     If you’ve ever given advice to a friend, you know how powerful it can be to have a removed perspective reflect a situation or emotion back to you. Distancing ourselves from our thoughts and feelings creates the opportunity to observe what’s going on, both in our heads and around us. 

     Journaling is one way to distance ourselves from our own situation. We can learn about ourselves and even be our own good-friend giving advice. Self-reflection allows us to look back and see how we think things could have been different.

     When we look back and think about how things coulda shoulda woulda been been better, it may lead to rumination. Writing down these thoughts can make them more concrete and keep us from spiraling into self-loathing, depression, or despair.

The Downward Spiral (Safe & Sound Treatment)

     By writing down our thoughts and feelings, we are releasing negativity, instead of suppressing it. By putting it into a journal, we give our brain permission to forget about it, even if for a moment; if we need it, we know where to go to get it. By building the habit, we protect against avoidant behaviors so that we can accelerate our growth, decrease the number of negative thoughts, and minimize the effects negative thoughts we do have (because we will) have on our bodies, minds, and relationships.

     If you’ve never journaled before, getting started can feel daunting. Know that YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED just by looking for help! 

     The next step is to get the materials you need. This is a short list:

• A journal. We've got some lovely options here.
• A writing utensil.

     Once you have the materials you need, then you can decide WHEN in your schedule you are going to make room for this new habit. How specific this time block is depends on how specific your scheduling is already. If your calendar is already full, then you should absolutely select a specific time block to protect (i.e. set an alarm for 8:15am or a time of day when you already have alone - even if it's the toilet). If your schedule is a little more flexible, then you can probably choose a time range (i.e. morning, lunch, evening, etc.)

     

     In his 1960 book, “Psycho-Cybertetics,” Dr. Maxwell Maltz concluded that it takes about 21 days to form a new habit. While science has debunked this theory and found that different habits require different lengths of commitment to become automatic, 21 days is a good starting place for figuring out when and where you prefer to journal. Once you get through the below 21 prompts, you can start over or come back for more prompts that better address a specific goal or problem you are having. 

1. What are three things you are grateful for today?
2. What is something that made you smile recently?
3. What is something that inspired you to feel awe?
4. What are you trying to accomplish this week?
5. Describe a favorite childhood memory.
6. What is a small win you had this week?
7. Who is someone you admire? What do you admire about them?
8. What is something you are looking forward to?
9. Write about a place that makes you feel peaceful.
10. How do you define success?
11. What habits do you have?
12. What does your ideal morning look like?
13. What is one thing you can do to take better care of yourself?
14. How can you be kinder to yourself?
15. What are three positive qualities you see in yourself?
16. What was a recent challenge you faced and how did you handle it?
17. What is something new you want to try?
18. How do you feel about journaling so far?
19. What does a perfect day look like for you?
20. What is one thing you learned this week?
21. Write a letter from the perspective of your future self, telling your current self how it feels to have accomplished a goal.

How Do You Know If You're Doing It Right

     There is NO "right" way to journal. Some people recommend just moving your pen, even if you're just scribbling or sketching. It's fine if, in the beginning, you're just staring at a blank page; you're making the time and building the habit. If you've got something more pressing than a prompt on your mind, write about that instead. 

     If you have to start by just going to a place and taking out your journal, that's fine. You don't have to immediately start writing manuscripts. You don't even have to start immediately by writing.   

Conclusion

     Journaling is a safe and effective way to address negative emotions. Sometimes it is directly writing down those emotions, and sometimes it's about giving yourself an opportunity to think about something other than what's bothering you. When you look back on what you've written, it can give you a different narrative for the life you're living by reminding you about things without you having to hold the thoughts in your mind to retain them. This makes space for new creative thoughts. 

     Give it a shot and let us know how building the habit is going!