Tired of the same old journaling prompts?
Try these recommendations from total strangers
In our last post, we spoke about the benefits of journaling and how it can help you manage your inner critic.
And that’s all well and good. But if you want to make a regular practice of journaling, it can be tricky to know where to start—and how to keep going.
While some people swear by methods like Morning Pages (effectively a daily brain dump), other people prefer to have more structure around their journaling.
You might need to try out a few styles to discover what works for you, but if you find yourself staring blankly at the pages of your shiny new notepad, prompts can give you some guidance.
What are journaling prompts?
If you’re new to the world of journaling, prompts are ideas (usually in the form of questions, statements or exercises) that act as a springboard for self-exploration.
They’re great at unlocking your thoughts and developing your self-awareness. They can help you work towards a specific goal (e.g. getting rid of imposter syndrome or processing grief). And they can also keep your practice fresh, nudging you to write even when you’re feeling uninspired or uncertain.
We often include journaling prompts in our weekly newsletters (so subscribe if you haven’t already!), designed to explore your inner critic and work through strategies for turning down its volume.
But there’s a whole world of prompts out there. So we decided to scour the internet for advice.
We wanted to find out what real people with a strong journaling practice find the most helpful for getting it all out on the page. Here are some of the best journaling prompts from the people of Reddit.
10 really good journaling prompts from the people of Reddit
5-minute prompt: What am I thankful for? What am I looking forward to? What are 3 things I want to get done today?
Write a letter to your inner critic explaining why they’re wrong.
Draw what comes to mind when your inner critic is talking.
Write about a time in the past you overcame a fear or did something you didn’t think you could do.
What would I lose if I did the things I really want in life, and what do I lose if I don’t?
Freedom is… (add as many things as come to mind)
In my wildest fantasy of not giving a fuck, what are the things I’d do if nothing was holding me back, if there were no consequences?
Look back on past journaling entries and comment with a new perspective.
Reflect on your month: what were the highlights? What did you learn? What small wins or accomplishments do you want to recognise? What do you want to do less of in the next month? What do you want to do more of in the next month? How are you physically/mentally/spiritually right now?
Write down 10 things you love about yourself.
Why not give them a try? Let us know how you get on below.