Journaling can have a hugely beneficial impact on our own mental health and state of mind and there are so many benefits of writing down our feelings. I’ve dabbled on and off with journaling for the past few years. Writing every day then going months without writing a thing. It’s important to find a journaling strategy and routine that works for you because some people simply don’t have time to hand write pages and pages every day. Which is where these 30 journal prompts for mental health will come in!
If you do struggle with time but want to get the benefits of journaling, sticking to journal prompts can be a really good idea. Journal prompts are basically questions that you can answer in your journal every day. I think prompts are great because let’s face it… some days, you just don’t know what to say.
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On MANY occasion, my journal entry for the day has been, “got up early, did some exercise, going to work for the rest of the day”. And I mean, that’s not benefiting me at all is it? I’m not getting any of the benefits of journaling from just stating those boring facts. And it’s a waste of time.
Journal prompts for mental health are a great idea because it’s definitely known that journaling can improve your mental health and give you a safe space to write about how you feel without judgment. But, as anyone with a mental illness knows, it can get overwhelming. So sometimes, we might need a little helping hand. Which is where journal prompts for mental health come in nicely.
So if you want to start journaling and getting those amazing benefits from it but you simply don’t know where to start or what to say, check out these 30 journal prompts for mental health to get you started.
30 Journal Prompts For Mental Health:
1. How do you feel right now?
2. What is making you feel how you feel right now?
3. If you could change one thing about how you feel right now, what would it be?
4. Explain one thing that you’re grateful for right now
5. Explain the sensations in your body right now – be specific
6. Write down one worry you have right now
7. Now write down 3 logical ways to think about that worry
8. What do you need to let go of in your life right now?
9. What can you do to improve your mental health today?
10. Write down 3 things that you achieved today and how they made you feel
11. Talk about the happiest time of your life
12. When was the last time you did something for you?
13. What has a positive effect on your life and why?
14. How do you feel when you consider therapy or treatment for mental illness?
15. Think about the last time you were anxious that turned out to be nothing to worry about. How did that feel?
16. What did you learn from your biggest failure in life?
17. Talk about 3 things that make you seriously happy
18. How would you describe the state of your mental health to a stranger?
19. If you had to explain how to look after your mental health to an alien, what would you say?
20. If money was no object, what would you do / buy to make yourself happy?
21. Talk about one of your biggest fears. Be honest
22. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about having good mental health?
23. What triggers your anxiety / depression? How can you manage that?
24. Think about someone who has negatively impacted your mental health. Write them a letter
25. What was a turning point for your mental health?
26. How does social media make you feel?
27. What’s your thoughts on body image?
28. Is there anything good about anxiety? Think!
29. Write 5 things you love about yourself and explain why
30. Write a letter to God / the Universe or whatever you believe in about your mental health
There’s lots of different aspects of mental health to work through in these journal prompts for mental health. Which I think is important because it allows us to explore different aspects of our mental health, not just the obvious.
It allows us to dig deeper and whilst answering these journal prompts, it’s likely that you’ll uncover some stuff (not always good stuff) that will benefit you in the long run.
So whether you try a journaling challenge and answer one of these every day or dip into them occasionally when you’re struggling to figure out what to write (or even what to think), I hope you found these journal prompts for mental health useful.
Over to you. Do you write in a journal? Do you ever follow journal prompts? Let me know!
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THIS IS FAB
This is great! Thank you so much for sharing. Some days I pull out my journal and I feel utter frustration. I’m bookmarking this page for the next time I have one of those days. <3
Oh I feel that! Hope these prompts help 🙂
[…] 30 Journal Prompts For Mental Health […]
[…] 30 Journal Prompts For Mental Health […]
Thanks for sharing this. I tried to journal weekly. I noticed in the last few weeks, I didn’t feel like writing anything at all. These prompts will come in handy to help me. Thanks again
I hope they help you!
This couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m planning on starting a bullet journal in the new year – not necessarily an every day one, but one with prompts for talking about my mental health and wellness. Plans for recovery etc. Love all of these and will defo be using them. x
That sounds perfect. I hope these help!
Hi Jenny, thanks for the tips. I’ve been a journaling wanna be in the sense that I haven’t had the discipline to do it consistently. I guess this will be a new years’ resolution for 2021. Happy holidays!
Great post! I am going to try some of these prompts.
[…] 30 Journal Prompts For Mental Health — Jenny in Neverland […]
These are great prompts! I haven’t used any to write, *yet*. But I did pause and use several of them for reflection.
That’s still amazing to do!
I am so glad i came across this… I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed abt what to journal daily but this prompts are a good guideline… I love it! Thank you
I hope they help!
thanks alot for these handy tips..
i too have been dilly dallying journaling for a while because some days there is nothing to pen down in my diary.I just sit there staring the blank sheet.
I believe these prompts would now give me a headstart.Thanks again!!❤
I get those days too! This is where prompts come in mega handy!
Love this article
Love this. Thanks for sharing!
This is lovely. I actually bookmarked your post. Thank you for sharing, Jenny.
Acknowledged it!! 👍
Thanks for sharing, these are great points 🙂
This has been really useful to read. I’m thinking that maybe next year I might make more effort in this area.
Hope these help!
Oh this is so helpful! Struggling at the mo so will have to remember some of these xx
Hope these help. Sorry to hear you’re struggling lovely xxx
I don’t keep a journal but I might next year x
I used to write down in my journal whenever I felt stressed or losing control. It really helps.
I have never journaled but this is a really good list of prompts x
Thank you x
I haven’t journaled in way too long. I started the year actively journaling every day and then the pandemic happened and I felt like my life was too boring to document. HOWEVER – journaling for the purpose of mental health is a great idea. I absolutely love your prompts and I’m feeling very inspired to get back into journaling again!
I totally agree. Especially with this year, there really wasn’t much to write about, was there?
I love prompts in both creative writing and journaling as a way to explore my immediate feelings and thoughts. This is an amazing list to unearth new feelings or buried thoughts on the blank page!
Thank you 🙂 I agree!
I’ve been wanting to start a journal for my mental health, but never knew where to start. Therefore I want to say thanks for this amazing post and inspirational prompts as it has helped me a lot!
Love Demi xo
I hope this helps and you can make a start soon!
These are some really great prompts! I’ve never really thought about journalling for my mental health before but it’s such a great ideas 🙂 x
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
Thank you 🙂
These are so helpful, thank you Jenny! I always struggle with what to write and do end up writing the same things all the time, especially since going into lockdown 🤦♀️ I’ll have to print these out ❤️
Yes, same! “Got up, went for a walk, had dinner”. I mean it’s hardly riveting is it haha
I’ve never really tried journaling before but I do think that it will be really good idea. I bet it would be a really good way at getting all your thoughts out by writing them down x
It absolutely is. It can be so therapeutic.
It’s a good list. Thank you.
Love these prompts. I’ve been slacking on my journaling and would love to get back into it. It’s a great outlet!
It sure is!
There’s some really good ideas here, thanks for sharing ❤️
Love Tea
https://teaspangsberg.com/
You’re welcome 🙂 x
This is super helpful! I’ve always wanted to start journaling, but I had no idea how to start. I’m definitely bookmarking this post so I can come back to it to get ideas. Thanks for sharing xx
Hannah | https://luxuryblush.co.uk/
Thank you! Hope this helps x
These are some brilliant prompts, Jenny. I have a gratitude journal but I don’t always write in it every day because, you know, life has that bad habit of getting in the way! Some of these prompts are ones I can use as well but I’m sure these will be a huge help to anyone who’s either getting started or has hit that impasse. Thank you for sharing! xx
Lisa | http://www.lisasnotebook.com
I love my gratitude journal! Thank you 🙂 xx
Gunna have to bookmark this page for next time i’m anxious xx
Thank you x
I think writing things down is really important for my mental health- at the moment I’m very prone to over-thinking and I’ll make the odd note when something is on my mind and then look at it whenever I need to talk myself down and remember that everything is okay- no need to overthink! So I think getting into a proper journaling routine would benefit my health 🙂 thank you for sharing these prompts x
I think it would be so beneficial to you! xxx
These are such great journal prompts! I habemt kept one in ages but am thinking that I really should keep track of my thoughts and feelings so I can learn to overcome my anxiety and function better on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes I let things get on top of me and it isn’t good for my mental health at all.
Hmm…if money was no object, I’d charter a (sterile, socially-distanced) jet for myself and my family to Vietnam! We lived there two years ago and were the happiest we’d been in a while. We’d love to bring our baby boy back and make it home in a beautiful apartment overlooking our city!
Bianca xx | http://www.missmonro.com
Oh wow that’s amazing that you lived in Vietnam! I’d love to read some blog posts about your time there xxx
Thank you so much, Jenny! My fiancé and I taught ESL English in Ho Chi Minh City and had an absolute blast – it’s such an enormous, exciting place! 😊 I’ve been thinking that I should write a Vietnam Travel series! Thanks for the suggestion! Xx
I do write in a journal, but not as regularly as I should. I used to write in one every day for years and years and I don’t know really how I got out of the habit. These prompts are very good ones! They are open ended and that’s important too so thoughts and emotions can just flow and be expressed.
Giulia tidbitsofcare.com
Yes absolutely! Yes or no answers are useless when it comes to journalling! Thank you lovely! xxx
*haven’t
Journaling about your mental health is such a great idea and I love all this journal prompts relating to that x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
It really is. Thank you x
Love these – I find journalling so beneficial and really therapeutic!
That’s great to hear!
I think that starting each day, listing what you’re grateful for, really helps with a positive mindset. Some great tips here x
Beautylymin
It really does. Gratitude has been a game changer for me x
Journaling is something I have wanted to do for a while now but just haven’t gotten around to it. I love the idea of it and you have given some great ideas for prompts, I’ll definitely have to take up journaling soon!x
I hope you do and it helps! xxx
I keep a journal and it is really helpful for my mental health specially these days. I don’t write in it everyday as I would have wanted to though. These journal prompts might help me for times when I want to write but just don’t know what to say.
Liz
http://www.piecesofliz.com
I hope these help and glad you find journalling helpful! xxx
I started journalling but stopped due to lack of time. It’s definitely something I should make time for! I’m adding it to my to do list from now on! Thanks for sharing!
You definitely should but remember it doesn’t have to take a ton of time! xx
This is such a helpful post. Writing in my journal has definitely helped me these past few months. I’m going to make good use of these prompts over the coming weeks.
Hope they help! xxx
I love this post. The prompts are fantastic and very thought provoking. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you 🙂 x
You already knew i’d be loving this post. Honestly perfect for today! I am really struggling right now.
Thank you so much for sharing my posts again, it means the world to me x x
You’re more than welcome! xxx
These are all brilliant prompts! I think having a journal would be a big help for me actually so this has inspired me to get started! xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
Yessss I hope so! xxx
Journalling is so important and something I want to get involved more in! Great post xx
http://www.dellalovesnutella.co.uk/
Thank you 🙂 x
I really need to start journalling when i’m mentally feeling low. There is so much you can do to help bring your self back up again, but also trying to work out why you are feeling low and maybe how to move forward. Great post x
Steph | http://www.stephhannam.com
Journaling really helps in that regard! xx
I’ve been trying to work on journalling everyday, so this will be helpful! Thanks for sharing.
Sumedha
You’re welcome! x
These are some great ideas. I always love the idea of journaling but have never tried it out so maybe I ought to!
Tash – A Girl with a View
Give it a go!
These are great prompts, Jenny! I’ve always found journalling difficult because I’d just write “did x, did y” like you said – but some prompts could be really helpful to get into writing something that might benefit me! xx
Yes that’s why I would find it difficult because that’s basically what I’d write too!
Useful to have some tips, because like you mentioned just writing down day to day routine can get boring and not motivating to keep doing it.
Asking how to improve mental health today is a good question, as it’s quite easy for moods to slip – I find one day I’m fine, others days not so much.
In respect to number 30, I often write letters to my kids, imagining they are adults reading back my words, sometimes it can help clarify my thoughts and justify why I did a certain action or have a particular belief.
Thank you for sharing!
That’s a great idea, writing letters to your kids!
I love this. My anxiety is really up at the moment and it’s really getting to me (not sleeping etc) but I’ve never really tried journaling because of not knowing where to start. There’s some great starting points here, think I’m going to give it a try – thanks!
Hope this helps! xxx