Journaling is an incredibly powerful tool, not just for self-discovery, but for self-care. Taking the time to get to know yourself, to write down your innermost thoughts – that’s very honoring of your self and your time.
Journaling is used for inspiration, reflection, gratitude, healing, knowing yourself, finding yourself...
Have you ever tried to write in a journal, you open up the book and you just stare at the page wondering what exactly to write about? Or, you write and write, but when you’re finished, there’s no real sense that it helped you in any way?
Journal prompts are helpful because they provide a structure for your writing. They’re a great method for discovering aspects of yourself that just might lead to huge insights, inspired action, and the momentum to actually get your life going in the direction of your dreams.
I’m not a stranger to writing in a journal. I have 5 current journals I use for everything from spiritual writing to self-discovery to goals to my everyday to-do lists. I have lists for gratitude, affirmations, my values, and you name it, I probably have it going on in one of my notebooks.
This particular journaling method struck me because of its simplicity. If you search around the web – and I saw hundreds of journal prompt ideas on Pinterest alone – you’ll find tons of suggestions for journal prompts:
- "50 Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery”
- “50 Questions to Find Your Best Self"
- “70 Questions for a New You”
- “70 Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery, Part 2”
Yikes! Sounds overwhelming! I’d be giving up after less than 10! And, depending on my day, maybe even after 1!
I’m about to simplify the process for you.
These journal prompts use the power of gratitude and affirmations to amp up your journaling. They also invite you to reflect on your day through a positive lens.
DAILY JOURNAL PROMPTS
The following 6 journal prompts are meant to be divided up into morning and nighttime.
Morning Journal Prompts
When you get up in the morning, take 15 minutes or so and write these 4 journal prompts on your page. Depending on your time and to simplify the process, write down 3-5 statements per prompt:
- Appreciation:
- Values:
- What would make today great:
- Affirmations:
Evening Journal Prompts
In the evening, before bed, write down these 2 journal prompts and respond to them with 3-5 statements each:
- Amazing things that happened today:
- How could I have made today even better?
In the morning, the first thing you’ll write is what you are appreciative of – this is the GRATITUDE part of the exercise. You can start it off by saying “I am so grateful for ______” or “I am so thankful ______” or even “I love ______.”
Values are those things that matter most to you right now. For example: flow and ease, love, learning, spirituality, family, prosperity, adventure, financial freedom…You write these down as a reminder to align your goals, your day, your life with your values.
Next, think of 3-5 things that would make the day great! Coffee with a friend? Your favorite dish for dinner? A call to an old friend? What makes your day not just ordinary, but extraordinarily good?!
And, next, write down 3-5 affirmations for the day. I’ve written a post on affirmations, 25 of the Best Mindset Affirmations and also, you’ll find Mindset Affirmations: 50 Powerful Affirmations to Change Your Mindset and Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs if you sign up for my FREEBIE Library,
You’ll notice these journal prompts, through gratitude and appreciation, help get you in a higher energetic state. It’s a wonderful way to start and end your day. You’re priming your brain to look for the good. Your primitive brain is wired to scan the environment for more negativity than positivity. That’s what got the caveman and woman out alive. No one wants to be eaten by a saber tooth tiger!
While we don’t have to worry about those kinds of threats to our survival, our brain, in particular our ego, still thinks there are major threats out there. It looks for negativity in your environment. Now you have a tool- daily gratitude! You can start to change and habitualize your brain by scanning your environment for positive things. That’s why I really like this particular set of journal prompts. They’re powerful and life-changing!
When I was working with young men in a 18-month addiction recovery program, they started their day by writing down 3 things they were grateful for. This particular rehab program had a much higher success rate than others, and I like to think that part of it was because of this practice.
You shift your mind from problems to possibilities.
Do you journal? Do you use journal prompts? What's been helpful for you? Leave a comment below.