By Kat Eftink
It can be so hard to talk to someone about your feelings. Even when courage strikes to speak up, holding back often feels more comfortable. There is one place where holding back is unnecessary– a journal.
Journaling provides a safe place to express yourself. It’s an activity that reduces anxiety, creates emotional awareness, and regulates emotion.
“Brain scans of people who wrote about their feelings showed that they were able to control their emotions better than those who wrote about a neutral experience,” medically reviewed by Smitha Bhandari, MD in, “Mental Health Benefits of Journaling”.
Your feelings aren’t the only thing you can write about. You can choose prompts to practice gratitude. Feel-good hormones are released during acts of thankfulness, so here are 10 journal prompts that will get your hormones pumping:
1. Reflect on three things you’re grateful for today, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant they may seem.
2. Write about a recent challenge you faced and how you overcame it. What did you learn from this experience?
3. Describe a moment from your day that brought you joy or made you smile. Why was this moment significant to you?
4. List five qualities you appreciate about yourself and why they are important to you.
5. Write a letter to your future self expressing gratitude for the progress you’ve made in your wellness journey.
6. Reflect on a person in your life who has had a positive impact on you. How have they influenced your well-being?
7. Describe a place or environment where you feel most at peace and why it brings you comfort.
8. Make a list of ten things you’re looking forward to in the near future, whether they’re big milestones or simple pleasures.
9. Write a letter of appreciation to your body, expressing gratitude for all it does for you every day. How can you show more kindness and care towards your body moving forward?
10. Describe a moment when you felt completely present and in tune with your surroundings. What were you doing, and how did this experience impact your overall well-being?
Try writing one prompt a day. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Forget grammar. Forget punctuation. Don’t worry about misspelled words or crooked letters, just write!
Please share your experience with these prompts and whether they resonated with you. Also, feel free to suggest any other types of prompts you’re interested in exploring further. For more on wellness, follow us on Instagram!
