Journaling can be a powerful tool for mental health and personal growth.

If you're feeling stuck in some area of your life, this week's theme might help you get clarity about your goals, and process your emotions so you can move forward.

Even if you're not feeling stuck, research has shown that expressive journaling can improve your immune system, allow for better sleep, and decrease levels of stress and anxiety.

Like all new practices, it can be hard to know how to get started or how to integrate journaling into your life in a lightweight, sustainable way — and that's where this guide comes in!

We'll dive into various prompts to help you get started with this incredibly useful practice.

Journaling for Perspective and Growth

Journaling allows us to gain new perspectives and track our personal growth.

Writing regularly can help us step outside of our immediate experiences and observe our evolution and resilience in the face of obstacles over time. 

By looking back at old journal entries, we can notice how our thoughts, opinions, and reactions have evolved, and how past challenges seem less daunting now. It helps us reflect on how we've changed, and appreciate how we evolved into who we are today.

It can also help us track big shifts in our mindset: why was that one event so challenging back then? What did I need then that I was not receiving?

It’s like having a window into our own personal journey that helps us see where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed.

Journaling Prompts for Perspective and Growth:

✨ How do I feel now about something that once seemed impossible?

Reflect on a time when you felt stuck or overwhelmed. Writing about how you feel now about that situation can help you see how your mindset has changed.

🌀 What old habits have I let go of, and what new ones have I embraced?

Acknowledge the habits you’ve outgrown and the new ones you’ve adopted. This helps you see the changes in your behavior and mindset over time.

💡 What did I once fear but now see as an opportunity?

Writing about a past fear you’ve overcome or turned into a positive experience can highlight personal growth and shifting perspectives.

Journaling for Processing Emotions

Emotions are complex, and sometimes we can find ourselves at their whims.

Many of us also struggle express ourselves, which can make it challenging to know how we feel about certain situations, or the reasons we might feel stuck.

Journaling provides a safe space to vent about fears, frustrations, and challenges, and helps you take control of your thoughts and mind — especially if you're prone to stress, self-judgment, or fear. 

The more you write about your feelings, the more you can detach and not identify so strongly with passing emotions like anxiety, fear, unworthiness, or lack of self-love.

Journaling Prompts for Processing Emotions:

📝 Expressive Writing

Once a week for four weeks, spend 15 minutes writing about a challenging event in your life.

Focus on your emotions and what you felt at the time. This can help process your feelings, gain clarity around a challenge, and promote emotional healing.

😊✨ “Positive Affect” Journaling

Write about positive experiences and emotions in your life. Focus on things you are thankful for or moments that brought you joy.

Each day, reflect on what made you feel good, such as a kind act from someone or a moment of gratitude. 

🌟 Gratitude Exercise

Think of someone in your life you’d like to express gratitude toward.

Pick 3 qualities that best describe this person (use a worksheet or make your own list).

Then, write down a time when they demonstrated each of these qualities. Finally, be brave and share this gratitude with them—imagine how you’d feel if one of your best friends shared this with you!

Journaling for Achieving Your Goals

Another incredible benefit of regular journaling: helping us track our goals over time. 

When you journal about your goals, you can jot down your fears around these goals, and regularly revisit them to assess your progress, celebrate milestones, and adjust your approach if needed. 

Journaling can transform the way you approach life by helping you understand the link between thoughts, actions, and results.

Your actions drive the outcomes you experience, and by tracking your decisions, you can make more intentional choices that lead to the results you desire. 

At the heart of this process, however, are your thoughts and feelings — those beliefs and stories we tell ourselves about our lives and place in the world. These subconscious narratives shape our decisions, and often, we don’t realize their influence.

By putting our thoughts and intentions on paper, we can actively engage with our goals, making it easier to stay focused and motivated over time.

Journaling Techniques for Goal-Setting

📝 The Odyssey Plan

1. First, write about what your life might look like in five years if you continue on your current path.

2. Next, write about what your life might look like if you take a completely different path.

3. Finally, write about what your life might look like if you were to pursue a path without worrying about money or others' opinions.

How do these different outcomes make you feel?

💡 Fear-Setting Exercise

Write about the worst-case scenarios of pursuing a goal, plan for how to mitigate those risks, and explore the benefits of taking action, no matter the outcome.

🎉 12-Month Celebration

Imagine it’s 12 months from now. What achievements would you like to be celebrating with a friend? Whether it’s asking for a raise, or consistently going to the gym, this exercise can help you clarify the actions you want to take today to make those celebrations a reality.

Getting Started with Journaling

So far, we’ve talked about the benefits of keeping a journal, but how do we get started with this practice?

The important thing to keep in mind when starting to journal or keeping a regular writing practice is to forget perfection. You don’t need fancy stationery or a special pen (unless you want to, of course!). 

Don’t worry if your handwriting is messy or if you’re making spelling mistakes. Don’t worry about writing something profound — some days, you might just write what you had for breakfast.

Trust that you’ll find something to write about. You don’t even have to use complete sentences: if all you can manage some days are a few words or bullet points, that’s more than enough to keep up the practice.

Find a time and place that works for you — first thing in the morning? Right before sleep? Feel free experiment and change it up!

It’s supposed to be a relaxing activity, so try to put yourself in a context that relaxes you. Find your cozy corner, play some music, or go to your favorite coffee shop.

Our top journaling tips

📖 Forget perfect

If you struggle with perfectionism, use a notebook you're already using to take the pressure off from writing the first perfect journal entry. 

🕒 Find a time and place

Experiment with what works for you - first thing in the morning, before bed, or during a coffee break. Find a cozy spot where you feel relaxed and inspired. Play music or background sound that makes you feel relaxed. 

⏳ Be patient

Building a habit takes time. Missing a day isn’t a big deal - this isn’t homework. Observe how journaling affects your mood, focus, or week, and let that motivate you to keep going!

📝 Be Honest

Write your true thoughts and feelings without judgment. Your journal is a safe space - no one else will read it, so let your words flow freely.

If you're new to journaling, we hope this week's theme gave you some new tools to give this practice a try. And if you're already used to journaling, we hope some of these prompts were useful to your practice!

P.S. If you could use help accomplishing your goals this season, please join us at one of our live guided work sessions, or morning planning sessions!

Take care,

— Farah, focused space host